


Protecting Harry

by faewm



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Not for Snape fans, Slow Updates, Some Humor, not for Albus fans, some bashing, some cussing, some viloence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2019-09-01 07:59:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 73,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16761151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faewm/pseuds/faewm
Summary: The spirit of Hogwarts feels Harry needs protection. Dumbledore isn’t doing a good enough job, so she calls on the only man she feels can get it right. Prophecies fear him, demons flee from him and Slayers love him. Enter Xander Harris. Original story, Potter’s Protector, is written by mjimeyg on ffn.





	1. Meet Xander

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Potter's Protector](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/435922) by Mjimeyg. 



> This is a rewrite of mjimeyg’s, Potter’s Protector. FFN Story number 7665632. I’ve read it a billion times, it’s one of my favorites, and have been itching to rewrite it. I recommend that everyone go and read it and the sequels. If you go to her webpage, on ffn, you will see that she gives blanket permission to do so. I didn’t ask for permission since she is agoraphobic and does not want to be contacted in any way. As long as we give credit where credit is due, she gives the all clear. I double checked before I posted this. She, of course, is more than welcome to contact me and tell me how she feels about it.  
> This fic will be teen rated, because I write that way best. So, some things are going to be taken out, others added. The first two chapters are pretty much the original with added bits. Things start to slowly change and will be drastically different as time goes on, but I’m going to try and keep with the mjimeyg’s main plot. It’s pretty much going to be the same story, just without all the adult innuendo and gore, and less romance until they are older. That and there will be a lot more Buffy the Vampire Slayer references.  
> Mjimeyg went for slap stick comedy, while I’m going for more serious.  
> There will be bashing in this fic. I hope it is not stupidly so. Snape, Ron, and Dumbledore fans will not like this one. I’m unsure about Molly. In the original she was treated badly, but I might just write her out. I’m still plotting.  
> I do take comments and suggestions in reviews.  
> This will be a slow updating story.  
> Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Harry Potter. They are written, published, produced and owned by much richer people than I. I don’t even own the original plot. I make no money off this. This will be the disclaimer for the entire story.  
> DaughterOfIris23 and Dashti-the-dramione-shipper are the betas for this chapter.

It was all that bushy-haired little know-it-all’s fault. She just had to be better than everyone else and it made him angry. If she had just left him alone then he wouldn’t be here right now. Now Harry was blaming him for her not knowing there was a troll in the castle and the boy-wonder was dragging him along to help find her. According to Harry they were just going to try and find Hermione to warn her. So, here they were running through the halls of Hogwarts, like they knew where to go.

Ron had thought that being friends with Harry Potter would be safe. He had killed a dark lord after all, so no one would try and mess with him. They could all just relax and enjoy life. Not to mention the fame and perks that being famous brought. But no! Harry Potter seemed to have a desperate need to help and save people. First Neville and now Hermione. The Boy-Who-Lived seemed to have had a death wish.

The two boys skidded to a halt when they heard a scream. They ran down the hall, to the nearest girl’s bathroom, where they could hear a commotion inside. Harry pushed the door open carefully to reveal the huge mountain troll looming over a cowering Hermione Granger. The smell was awful.

Ron decided this wasn’t the life for him. So he left without a backward glance. He took off back the way he had just come. If Harry wanted to be a hero, he could bloody well do it without his help. He was out of here.

"Ron, any…," Harry started as he turned to ask his friend for help only to see him sharply turn the corner at the end of the corridor. Harry wondered what had gotten into him. Wasn’t Gryffindor the house of the brave? The timid boy shoved in the back of his mind for another time and turned to look at the huge monster in the bathroom. He had to figure out how to help Hermione. He wasn’t sure what he could do, small kid that he was.

That, and the bloody thing was huge!

Still, Hermione was in trouble. The poor girl was cowering under what used to be the bathroom sinks with a giant monster out to kill her. Harry noticed that the girls’ loo looked at lot like the boys’, which gave him pause. His aunt always went on and on about the comforts of women’s bathrooms. She would gloat on and on about how they had couches, and chairs. He then shook his head a such fleeting thoughts and turned his attention to the girl inside.

He needed to do something. Maybe distract the beast. Gathering up his courage, Harry flung the door open and ran inside. He yelled as loud as he could to try and distract the troll, then somehow leapt onto the huge beast’s back and began pounding away. It didn’t hurt the troll at all, probably no more than an annoying mosquito, but at least now the club wasn’t aimed at his sorta friend.

The mountain troll paused and began spinning in circles, attempting to see what was tickling his back; whatever it was, was turning with it. The troll reached behind to try and grab the annoyance, but it was out of reach. Round and round the two went, with neither having any luck. Harry was hanging on for dear life. His legs flew through the air, while his arms were locked firmly around the troll’s neck. The smell was still awful. He didn’t think he’d be able to hold his dinner, especially since it was mostly sweets. And eww the dirt and slime on this being’s neck was horrible. He might have to take a shower for a week. His wand was stuck in the troll’s nose, but he wasn’t going to let go to try and get it. The fall might kill him.

Hermione saw her savior, the young Harry Potter, and it looked like he might be in trouble. It was quite foolish of her year mate to try and take on a fully-grown mountain troll. Still, he was doing it for her. So, she gathered _her_ Gryffindor courage and started hurling nearby pieces of porcelain debris at the creature. "Leave him alone!!!" she screeched, throwing a piece of the privy at the troll’s head. She hit her target, making it turn its attention to her. She quickly grabbed more pieces and threw them at the beast’s face, hitting him in the eye. The troll roared at her, but that didn’t stop her from throwing more. She feared she might die, but she wasn’t going to let Harry get crushed.

Just when both kids thought all was lost and wondering where the staff was, there was a strange noise. A loud bang and a flash of bright lights came from the only stall still standing.

"What the heck?" a male American voice queried to itself from inside the cubicle. "There are no bathrooms in this cave, or any cave come to think of it. Willow, did you cast a spell? I know you like your luxury, but…" the voice called out as the door opened. "Aw, man. It had to be me, didn’t it?" A tall man with longish brown hair, a sturdy build, and one eye complained when he had taken in what was going on.

The three combatants looked at one another. The troll roared, Harry squeaked and fell off its back, and Hermione cried, “Help!” She grabbed Harry and the two went to the corner, hoping the man could take care of the troll.

The man waved his hand in front of his nose and said, "Dude, you reek," He then reached up and ripped the wand from the troll's nose, causing the troll, who was so destructive moments before, to whimper. The one-eyed man threw the stick away. Fortunately, towards the two kids.

Harry quickly picked it up and pointed it at the troll. He didn’t know what he could do, but if he could, he was going to help. Hermione drew her wand as well.

"Any chance you're gonna walk away peacefully?" the man asked, still wrinkling his nose at the odor.

The troll bellowed in anger at the newcomer.

"Yeah, I thought not," he said as he reached over his shoulder, making a sword appear from nowhere. The man sprang into motion as he shot between the beast's legs and sliced at the back of its knees, causing it to topple to ground, roaring with pain. Only its arms held it up, but the man sliced away at its elbows, causing the troll to fall to the floor. The man then placed the sword back over his shoulder and it vanished. He reached over his other shoulder to make an axe appear. With one single swoop, he chopped the defeated beast’s head off. The man placed his axe back over his shoulder, making it vanish just as several of the professors burst into the room. There was no pause as the man made two guns appear from his side, pointing them at the new intruders. He took a moment to wonder what the hell they were wearing.

"What on earth is going on?" Professor McGonagall demanded, taking in everything with a rapid glance. She sighed with relief at seeing her two lions unharmed but glared suspiciously at the unknown man in the room.

Confused, the outsider looked at the dead troll and the two scared kids and shrugged. "It looks like I am being a hero again. Stupid Scoobies,” he grumbled. “And the next person who pisses me off is going to get what he got," he said seriously as he kicked the dead troll.

"He saved us. We tried to fight off the troll, and then he came along and killed it. It was very brave of him," Hermione said as Harry nodded in agreement.

"We do not know who ‘he’ is, Miss Granger. We do not know if he is friend or foe. ‘He’ should not be here," Professor McGonagall said primly.

"Back at you, Lady,” the still unnamed man stated, not lowering his guns at all.

"I am Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster of this school," the elderly man said placatingly. The man had, after all, just killed a mountain troll. "The lady you spoke to is my Deputy, Professor McGonagall. The other two men are Professors Snape and Quirrell."

"I'm Harry, and this is Hermione," Harry offered to their savior. It was only polite.

"This is a school?" the man asked dubiously as he looked around the demolished bathroom.

"One of the finest in the world," Professor McGonagall said proudly, which was rather ironic really after what had just happened.

"Okay, if this is the finest school in the world, then why are these two kids locked in a bathroom with that thing? You guys aren’t part of the Council, are you? That would not make me happier. We thought you were all dead," he stated, aiming at the oldest man. The last thing he needed was to run in to those guys. They thought most those control freaks were dead, but some could have survived the bombing. He had heard of a few zealots lurking about.

"Do not take that tone with me, young man. We were seeing to our duty and escorting the children to safety. Mr. Potter and Miss Granger left the group on their own. It is their foolishness that landed them in trouble," McGonagall declared angrily. While she was relieved to see them unharmed, she never did suffer fools, and only a fool would run around when there was a troll about.

"Since when is taking a leak foolish?" he asked derisively. Still not sure what the deal was.

"Mind your manners," the black clad greasy-haired man —Snape— snarled.

The man cocked one of his weapons, raised an eyebrow and asked, "Or what?"

"Or I will take away your muggle weapons, and throw you bodily from the castle," Snape growled, raising his wand in the man’s direction, only to jump when he hear a loud crack, and a slight wind whistle by his ear. Bits of plaster peppered his head, making everyone turn to see a hole in the wall behind the greasy-haired man.

"I’d like to see you try. I can put a hole in your head before you even move. Are you feeling lucky?" the man asked calmly, not once lowering his guns.

Harry dragged Hermione quickly to the corner. It should be safe there. Guns weren’t something you messed with.

"This seems to have gotten out of control. Perhaps, we can speak in my office, Mr.…?" Dumbledore stated leadingly. He didn’t know who this man was, but if he had such powerful weapons, maybe he could be useful.

"Xander. Just call me Xander," was the curt response.

"Mister Xander… I apologize for the misunderstanding. When we were informed that the children were missing, we endeavored to find them. As you can see, we arrived a tad too late. I am most happy that you came across them when you did,” the old man said, trying to reclaim the situation.

"Yeah, a tad. So, kids, what were you doing in here?” Xander asked, keeping his guns pointed at the slimy man, who was still glaring at him and pointing a stick at him. Xander had no clue why he was carrying a stick, but after his life on the Hellmouth, he wasn’t taking chances.

"Hermione didn’t know about the troll. She missed the feast, so me and Ron came to warn her," Harry said quickly. “I’m not sure what happened to Ron, though,” he added to explain why his friend wasn’t there.

"So… no kissy, kissy?" Xander asked with a smirk.

“Eww,” came the disgusted response from both the pre-teens.

“You were saying?” he asked the supposed teachers.

"Of course, they wouldn’t tell the truth. That boy was probably setting up a prank, just like his father,” the dark-dressed man said, turning his wand to Harry. 

"I do believe that is quite enough, Severus," Dumbledore said quietly, causing Snape to drop his wand, but not his glare.

Harry frowned. He wasn't angry at the slur, not really; he just wanted to know what that meant. He wished _someone_ would tell him about his parents other than, he looked like his dad with his mum’s eyes. He wanted to know what they were like. Simple things. When did they graduate? When did they get married? What did they do for a living? Did they have any friends? Where were those friends now? He just wanted to know.

“So, where are the rest of the kids? And who’s looking after them?” Xander asked, relaxing his arms and lowering his guns. Though he still keep his eyes on ‘Severus’. His creepo radar was blaring. And if there was one thing Xander trusted, it was his creepo radar.

“They are safe in their dorms,” McGonagall answered as if it were obvious.

“You guys didn’t go looking for the troll. You just moved kids around? And didn’t go after the bigger threat?” the one-eyed man asked in disbelief.

“We had to find it,” she said defensively. Not liking that he was accusing them of misconduct.

“Lady, how could you miss it? It stank and was extremely destructive. Or did you think this bathroom came like this naturally?” he argued, waving his arms at the destroyed room.

“It’s not easy to kill mountain t-t-t-trolls," the man in the turban stated fearfully.

"Well, given I did it in under ten seconds, I’d say it’s not that hard," he said kicking the corpse.

"Actually… less than five," Hermione corrected timidly. She didn’t want to go against the teachers, but this man just saved their lives. She wasn’t about to let them disparage him.

"See? Less than five seconds."

"Lies,” Severus snapped. “These children wouldn’t tell the truth if…”

"Severus," Dumbledore interrupted firmly as he realized his Potions Master was not going to be helpful at the moment. “I do believe the rest of the staff should know that the danger has passed. Perhaps you and Quirinus, can do this.”

"Headmaster, you can’t be serious. This man just-"

"Professors,” was all Dumbledore said, causing the two men to leave. Well, one stormed and the other slinked, never turning his back on the rest. “Now, tell Mr. Xander, however did you come to be in this school?” he asked, after a minute of silence.

"I walked into a cave," Xander said bluntly. "In Africa.”

"That is… most disturbing," Dumbledore said, stroking his beard with a frown. "A portal that leads from Africa to this room," he hummed in thought. It would have to be a new portal, since it had never happened in all his years here.

"I don’t think it was a permanent one. There were people ahead of me, and a few behind me, but I’m the only one here. I’m just fates, buttmonkey," the young man sighed, wondering everything seemed to happen to him.

"Still, best to be sure. Minerva, would you escort Mister Potter and Miss Granger to their dorms?" the Headmaster suggested to his deputy. He would go to his office, and then question this gentleman more thoroughly.

"Of course, Albus. Follow me, children," she ordered crisply and turned smartly out of the room.

Harry and Hermione reluctantly followed. They wanted to know more about the man who appeared out of nowhere and cut up a troll. They gave one last look and trailed after McGonagall.

"If you will follow me, I will seal this room and we can adjourn to my office to discuss this further," Albus offered, waving his hand to the doorway. Xander shrugged put his guns into his pocketspace. Dumbledore lifted an eyebrow but held off his questions for now. He turned and sealed the doorway. “This way,” he said as he turned right.

As they walked, Xander noted there was no indication that electricity was used in the stone castle. There were no lightbulbs, sockets, or wires of any kind. He had a sinking feeling that phones would not be available either. Heck, he wasn’t even sure he was in the right dimension. The portraits followed them as they moved along. And he was sure he saw a ghost or two. This was creepier than Sunnydale on a full moon.

Eventually, they arrived at a stone gargoyle that moved out of the way at Dumbledore's password. The old man showed him to his office and offered him a seat, which he took. The office was just as disturbing as the walk there, with the mumbling pictures, and the large fire-red bird. His hand kept itching to grab his axe and start chopping.

"Can you tell me what year it is?" he asked as politely as he could. Hopefully, it wasn’t as bad as he thought. There had been plaster in the bathroom, and the invention of that wasn’t that far in the past.

"October 31st, 1991,” the Headmaster informed him. He wondered why the young man needed to know that. Had the troll hit him on the head?

"Shit," Xander muttered, doing some minor calculations.

"You believe you have traversed time?" Albus postulated. Time travelers were rare, indeed. And for muggle to travel time was unheard of.

"Yeah, from the look of this joint I thought it was much further. I’ll just have to wait a little while to contact my friends," Xander sighed, a bit put out that he was alone. Too bad he was in the wrong country for the lotto numbers; he could make a killing.

"Actually, you're in the wrong reality," a familiar voice said as a slender woman with strawberry blonde hair appeared in the chair next to him. She gave him a bright smile and it was reassuring.

"Mrs. Summers?" Xander said in shock. He hadn’t seen her in years. Not since she died. He was completely shocked to see her now. He truly hoped she wasn’t going to haunt him.

Albus started slightly, but the strange red bird started chittering happily.

"Oh, I think after everything we’ve been through you can call me Joyce!" she stated, wagging her finger at him with a mock frown.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, grinning madly. “Anyway, I can get back?”

"No, I’m afraid I need you for this mission," she said, sitting back and adjusting her skirt as she crossed her legs. She hoped he wasn’t too disappointed, but she really needed him here for this. She cut a glare at the headmaster, which only Xander caught.

"And the mission I was on?" he asked warily. In his previous mission, he was baby slayer recruiting, and demon slaying. Who was going to take over for him? How long would it take until they knew he was gone? Well, he would miss his check-in call tomorrow, so it might not be too bad. But, Buffy and Willow would fret. Giles would clean his glasses, and Dawn would cry.

"Don’t worry, I let Giles know," she informed him, patting his leg at his loyalty. And hadn’t that taken a bit of magic? Not to mention the portal. It wasn’t as if she could pick up a phone and call. No, she had to make two portals, the first small, so only voices could get through. And then the second one that brought Xander here.

"You drafted me?" he asked in outrage.

"I am so sorry, honey, I know what you were doing was important. But Xander, I really need help and you are the only one I knew who could handle it," she said, pleadingly.

"Damn, don’t look at me like that. You remind me of your daughter," he whined, still somewhat annoyed at being manhandled across realities. But for Joyce, he’d do as she asked.

"Sorry, but could you see Buffy and Willow just letting you go?" she stated with understanding eyes. She loved her daughter, she really did, but the way she and Willow treated Xander was appalling sometimes.

"Point," he conceded. If they knew he was leaving, they’d never let him go. For some reason, even though he had been in Africa for years, they still felt he couldn’t take care of himself. Sometimes their smothering was overwhelming.

"Excuse me, I must ask, who are you and how did you come to be in my school?" Albus interrupted. This was not a good day, he was not used to being unaware of so many things happening.

"My name is Joyce Summers, my daughter was one of Xander’s best friends," she said fondly as she reached over and took Xander's hand.

"How does that pertain to you being in my office?” the old man asked with a great deal of frustration. Two unknowns wandering about his castles was enough to fluster him a bit.

"That’s because I _am_ your office. You may call me, Lady Hogwarts," Joyce stated airily as if he should have already known that. Not that he could have. She hid very well from those she didn’t trust completely. And she didn’t trust Albus Dumbledore at all.

To say the Headmaster was gobsmacked was an understatement. He had heard rumors of this woman, but had put it off as just that, rumors. If she had been real, then why had she never come to him? Yet, here she was sitting in front of his desk, claiming to be Hogwarts.

"That sounds like something that crawled out of the Hellmouth. Hogwarts, really? Maybe it’s a description of something Buffy would cook," Xander said with a disgusted look.

“It is the name of this school," Albus said somewhat absently still going over the woman’s claims of being the embodiment of his school.

"That doesn’t make it sound any pleasanter,” Xander declared with a raised eyebrow. Turning to Joyce he asked. "So, what mission? Does it involve demons? Cause, I got to tell you, I’d rather Buffy were around if it does. She’s the leader of our little army."

"No, no demons. Unless you classify Harry Potter as a demon. He's just coming up the stairs." Joyce smiled fondly at the door.

A few seconds later, an irate Minerva McGonagall burst through the doors with Harry and Hermione behind her. She was just about to start ranting when she noticed the strange woman.

"Harry is my mission?" Xander asked with a sigh. He made the leap from teenage girls to preteen boys… at least he wouldn't have to worry about female problems this time.

"Yes,” she concurred. “He has had a hard life, and there’s a prophecy."

"Ms. Summers, I must ask that you stop right now. I do not know how you came to have such knowledge, but it should not be revealed at this time," Albus said sternly, quickly trying to figure out if he had a leak, and if so, how to prevent this woman from disrupting his carefully laid plans.

"Bite me, Dumbles," Joyce said with venom.

"Me-ow!" Xander declared with a grin.

"I could tell you some stories about this man’s hubris. He keeps things quite close to the vest. Harry deserves to know. His saving people instincts are just as bad as yours!" Joyce said angrily.

"I don’t want people to get hurt or die. Besides, they’re my friends!" Harry said defiantly. He wasn’t going to be told he was wrong for saving people, especially his friends.

"Harry, dear, I’m not saying it’s wrong. I’m just saying that I don’t like the way some people treat you. You remind me so much of Xander. He was always going off saving others with little thought to his own wellbeing or little reward," Joyce said, pulling the small boy into a hug.

Xander noticed Harry’s reaction. He stiffened up so much, the one-eyed man was afraid he might break.

Joyce looked over at Xander as if to say, ‘See what I mean’, knowing what the one-eyed-man had noticed. The motherly woman then released Harry as two more chairs materialized in the office and she led the two children to sit down.

McGonagall huffed and conjured her own chair next to Dumbledore’s. She had no idea what was going on, who this woman was, or how she got herded to this office. However, her feet were killing her, and she could find out just as well sitting down.

"Harry, Xander is here to protect and train you. The man who murdered your parent is still… well, not alive, but around. Xander is going to help you get to where you can protect yourself, and your friends," Joyce explained softly, hoping the boy didn’t feel crowded, or overwhelmed. 

"Ms. Summers!" Albus bellowed, making everyone jerk in reaction. "I must insist you stop at once. I will make you do so if I must," he stated firmly, lifting his wand.

"You know what? I’m tired of you. I think it’s time you took a vacation. Perhaps you could use the time to reflect on how badly you screwed up, and how you might fix that in the future,” the embodiment of Hogwarts stated, waving her hand and making the old man disappear.

McGonagall was shocked, and very worried. She still didn’t know what was going on, and who this woman was. However, Albus seemed to be wary of her. “Excuse me, but just who are you people and what did you do the Headmaster?”

"Don't worry, Minerva. I just sent Albus outside the school gates," Joyce explained at the woman’s worried look. “He’ll be back, ruining people’s lives in no time.”

"That does not explain who you are.”

"For all intents and purposes, I’m Hogwarts."

Minerva looked to Xander hoping for an explanation… or even a pinch to wake her up from this surreal dream.

"Don’t look at me, I just got here." Xander shrugged as he looked expectantly at Joyce.

Joyce sighed. "When I was dying a funny little man named Whistler came to me and told me my time was up… there. He said the Powers That Be had use of me elsewhere. That I could help a magical community in a different dimension flourish. I came here a thousand years ago, and one thing led to another and now I am Hogwarts. I usually stay mostly asleep, like a light nap, but when war comes I awaken and help protect the castle. I think I’ve been completely awake five times over the millennium. Anyway, I woke up when that Voldemort man was causing havoc. I’ve been partially awake for fifty years now. Only interacting when I’m needed," she explained, hitting the highpoints.

She had actually played a part in a few wars before she went to sleep, centuries ago. By the time she woke this last time, Tom Riddle had been killing people. She had thought to tell McGonagall about him, but the woman had been too focused on Dumbledore’s vigilante group. She had left clues to who the man was, but they were all ignored. So, she waited. Now, that Harry was here, she could take steps to stop the upcoming war.

"So why am I here if you protect the castle?" Xander asked her.

"Part of my duty is to ensure the safety of my occupants. The last decade or so, I have tried to subtly communicate with Dumbledore, but he is too caught up in making Harry a martyr. If I had come out and said, ‘Hey, I’m the school, and you should listen to me,’ he would have dismissed me out of hand. Now his plans include Harry, and I won’t stand for it. Harry comes from a home that is far more abusive than even yours. It was what I learnt from Albus Dumbledore that made me ask for you. You see, Harry's parents died trying to protect him when he was a baby, ten years ago, today. The man who killed them used the same curse on Harry. It’s usually instantly fatal, but it backfired and destroyed his body leaving him as a wraith. Unfortunately, this made Harry part of a prophecy that says Harry has to vanquish this wizard," she explained, holding Harry loosely about the shoulders.

"I have to kill someone?" Harry asked in horror as Minerva and Hermione gasped.

"Not if I have anything say about it. Xander here breaks prophecies, which is why I brought him here," Joyce told the young boy, giving him a gently squeeze.

"It's getting late. Perhaps we could continue this tomorrow?" Minerva suggested as Hermione failed to stifle a yawn.

“That’s a good idea,” Joyce stated, seeing everyone trying to keep awake. “I’ll take them to where they are sleeping. You should go as well. We’ll talk about Albus tomorrow.”

“We’re not sleeping in our dorms?” a confused Hermione asked.

“No, but let’s talk about it when we get there,” Lady Hogwarts stated, shuffling everyone out the door.


	2. Xander’s Chaos: The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said slow updates, but I have the first 16 chapters written, and I write almost every day. The ninth chapter is with the betas, who started way after I did. So, I’ll post what I have betaed, and when they get that done, I’ll post it. Then the updates will be slow. 
> 
> DaughterOfIris23 and Dashti-the-dramione-shipper are the betas for this chapter.

“Aw, man, I don’t have anything, Joyce. You just plucked me out of Africa and my bag is back at the hut I was using,” Xander complained as Joyce led them through the deserted halls. Their footsteps echoed off the walls as made their way. Joyce’s high heels clipped along as his boots resounded with heavy ‘thunks’. The kids’ school shoes were quieter, but not by much. The relocated man was still a bit creeped out by the portraits, but he was getting used to it. He would have to remember to curb his remarks around them, though. Last thing he needed was for the whole place to know his business. He was well aware of how fast gossip spread among teens. The Slayers were the worst, in his opinion.

"Don't worry, Xander,” Joyce assured him. “I have plenty of money. Remember, I’ve been saving for a millennium. Buffy and Dawn couldn’t spend it all, and you know how my daughters can shop."

"Why did you send the Headmaster away?" Hermione asked Joyce worriedly. How was the school supposed to function without a headmaster? How did this woman have the power to do that?

“He was going to try and hurt me. Didn’t you notice his wand pointed at me? Besides, I’m still mad at him for not interfering with the Dursleys,” Joyce said angrily. Year after year she had to listen to that Figg woman complain about Harry’s treatment, but that old fool did nothing to stop it.

"You know about that? How?" Harry asked nervously. He didn’t want anyone to know about that. Of course, she had indicated that she knew back in the office, but how? Was it some super-secret magical spying spell? He really hoped not. He hated it when people watched him. Being alone in a cupboard for hours on end left him wary of crowds. He had had a hard-enough time sleeping the last two months with so many boys in his dorm room. 

"Let’s just say there was someone keeping an eye on you. Dumbledore kept telling them that you were in the safest place, and that a bit of hardship wouldn’t hurt you in the long run,” she answered, running her hand through his hair. She kept it vague, so that he wouldn’t freak out at the fact that his babysitter was a spy. He just didn’t need to know that. She would tell him soon, but right now he already felt betrayed. She didn’t want to add to that. A little while longer wouldn’t hurt.

"I’m going to kill him,” Xander growled as he spun around and started heading back down the stairs. Only for the stairs to start moving away from the floor they started on. "Come on, Joyce. Let me go and kill him. He’s worse than Travers. At least Buffy was a teenager."

"No! You’re supposed to protect Harry. He’s more important right now. You focus on him and let me take care of Albus," Joyce admonished, then turned and walked forward, the other following behind.

"Dammit! Okay, fine," Xander sulked, making his way back to the group. “But, I’m keeping my eye on that man. One hair out of place on Harry’s head, and I’m taking Dumbledore down,” he grumbled.

“I —ummm— well, if Harry needs a place away from the people that hurt him, he can stay with me. Well, I’d have to ask my parents, but I’m sure they wouldn’t mind,” Hermione stated softly. She was appalled at what they were suggesting. The boy who just saved her had been abused. She would make sure that her parents knew that it was important. But she would have to word it in such a way that she didn’t outright tell them that he was mistreated. That was his story to tell.

"That’s very kind of you, sweetie. Can you ask about Xander as well? He needs to stay with Harry. If they have questions about that, then have them write to me or Xander," Joyce said happily as they reached the portrait of a large woman sleeping in a chair.

"Thanks, Hermione," Harry mumbled, shuffling his feet with embarrassment. He never really had someone offer him shelter before. If it could get him away from the Dursleys, then he would be grateful. He felt a hand land on is shoulder and jerked as he looked up to see Xander smiling down to him in encouragement. He tentatively smiled back and turned towards Ms. Summer.

"Okay, Xander, this is the Gryffindor dorm," Joyce said, indicating the sleeping portrait of the Fat Lady. "It’s where the kids slept, but they will be sleeping in your spare rooms now," she said, leading them back down the hall and to the left. She wanted him to know all the dorms, and she would tell him in the days to come. But, the Gryffindor dorm was near where he was going to live.

"What spare rooms?" Xander asked absently as they stopped in front of a stationary knight's armor.

"The ones I’m going to give you. Don’t worry I think you’ll like the place,” she said with a bright smile as she stopped in front of a suit of armor. “This is Jarvis, he will guard your rooms. Jarvis, I need the rooms now.”

"It’s finally time?" the armor asked, knowing that this set of rooms had been set aside for a thousand years, just waiting for this day. He seemed quite very pleased that it was happening.

"Yeah, I want to thank you for being so patient and guarding them," Joyce said kindly. “This is Xander and his wards. They’re tired, so I introduce you tomorrow.”

"Xander? As in Xander Harris?" Jarvis asked in awe. Xander looked a little worried as Joyce nodded her head happily. She was practically bouncing like a little girl with her favorite toy.

"Hey, Jarvis, ummm, how did you know my name?" Xander asked with a raised eyebrow. Now he had some indication as to why the portraits were following him around. If Joyce was going around telling tales of his exploits in Sunnydale, then they might have the wrong idea about him.

"During summer cleaning, when she’s awake, Joyce tells us fascinating stories about you and your friends. I say, I’m glad it’s you that come and not Buffy. While she sounds like a lovely girl, she sounds a bit destructive. From what Joyce says anyway," the armor said, with a bit of awe. “Now, you’re here, and I can’t wait to see how things will change.”

“The password will be ‘hellmouth’,” Joyce said, laughing at Xander’s thunderstruck face.

Jarvis stepped aside to reveal a doorway. Joyce opened the door and they all stepped inside, only for everyone to freeze in shock.

"This is so cool," Xander stated as he looked around a room that was definitely not part of the castle. He was shocked to find himself standing in the Summers' living room. A house he hadn’t seen since the destruction of Sunnydale. Everything looked just like it had when Mrs. Summers had been alive. Right down to the television on the wall. The pictures were the same. The art that she brought home from her gallery stood on the mantle and adorned the walls. The furniture, that had been ruined after she passed, was all in pristine condition. His heart swelled from all the good memories this room brought back.

"I thought you might like a sense of familiarity, I know I do." Joyce grinned, patting him on the shoulder as she headed for the kitchen to make hot cocoa.

“Why does Xander need a password? I mean, do the teachers need one as well?” Hermione asked, looking around the house and feeling quite a home. Still it was amazing that this place was in the castle.

“It’s to keep things private. Students are nosy, and they will always try to sneak places they shouldn’t be to satisfy their curiosity. Speaking of which, Xander, remind me that I need to speak to you before you go to bed. Anyway, Patrice, the Fat Lady, knows who should go in to the Gryffindor dorm, but in order to give you children a sense of responsibility she has to ask,” Lady Hogwarts explained, leading them to the living room where they could all sit.

"That sounds reasonable," Hermione said frowning in thought as she set her cup on the coffee table. This whole evening was nothing but a huge blow to what she knew about Hogwarts.

They all sat deep in thought for a few minutes, sipping their cocoa. Each thinking of different things. Xander his new reality. Joyce on what to do with Dumbledore, Hermione was wondering how much of _Hogwarts: A History_ was correct. Harry was thinking maybe for once in his life he might be able to trust an adult.

"Okay, Hermione, you go wash up first and then bring me your brush. I'll do your hair while Harry washes up," Xander said with a yawn as he stretched. It had been a long day before he was dropped here. Africa did not have a friendly climate, and that cave had had many traps and defenses. Now, here he was with a new set of responsibilities and worries. He just wanted to go to bed and think about it all in the morning.

"Do what with my hair?" Hermione asked concerned, hoping he wasn’t thinking about cutting it or anything. While her hair was frizzy, she liked the length.

"Brush it, of course. You don't usually brush your hair and tie it up before bed?" he asked, giving her a weird look.

"No!" she said as if he was crazy. In her experience brushing it just made it worse.

"Well, that explains why your hair is so frizzy," the one-eyed man sighed. "Joyce, you had two girls, you want to explain it to her?"

"How do you know about girls’ hair?" Harry asked him while Joyce explained the benefits of nightly hair brushing and braiding to an increasingly excited Hermione.

"I spent the past year travelling with a bunch of teenage and pre-teenage girls. Each night I had major hand cramps after having to brush their hair. I learned a lot of female secrets, which I promise to share with you when you’re older. Trust me it’s stuff you want to know," Xander said with a serious nod.

Harry just nodded, taking the man’s word for it. He had no clue how to act around people. In his experience they were all either bullies, just plain cruel, or just didn’t care. His ‘family’ didn’t really teach him much about human interactions.

A half an hour later, after Joyce showed them the around house, Harry finished up getting ready for bed, and out of habit, and because he was exhausted, he made his way downstairs and headed straight for the small cupboard under the stairs.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Xander asked with a great deal of confusion.

"Oh… I forgot… that is, I… usually…" he stammered, forgetting that he had a room assigned. Old habits were hard to break, and he was dead tired.

"Don’t worry, honey, it’s an easy mistake. Just remember you never have to sleep in a cupboard again," Joyce said calmly, putting her arm around his shoulders and leading him back to the living room.

"What?!" Xander asked sharply, sitting up angrily. "You slept in a cupboard. When I get my hands on those… argh, I can’t even think of the appropriate word. And I lived on a Hellmouth, so that’s saying something."

"You won't hurt them, will you?" Harry asked, worried that Xander might get in trouble for doing something illegal.

"There are many ways to bring someone down without bringing out an axe,” Xander stated as he paced angrily. Suddenly lights started flashing, and an alarm started to blare. “What the hell?” the angry man yelled over the noise, wondering what was going on now, and hoping rather unrealistically that it wouldn’t involve him.

"It’s the chastity alarm," Joyce sighed as she stood up. "Harry, Hermione, wait here, we'll be back in a few minutes." She led Xander back to the kitchen and to a door, that in Sunnydale, would have led outside. "This door will lead you to where you need to go. Think of it as a portal," she smirked, knowing he wasn’t going to like this. But it was one way to establish who he was and what he was going to be doing here. He couldn’t just stay as a bodyguard to Harry. He needed to have some function for the whole school, it was the rules.

"Really, Joyce, a chastity alarm? What have you gotten me into?” the poor man asked indignantly, grabbing the door and yanking it open. Sure enough, and slightly disappointedly, it looked like a portal.

"It’s your price of admission. You, my friend, are now the Head of Security," she grinned as she led Xander through. The blue and bronze common room contained multiple kids of both sexes. He hoped he didn't need to carry out an interrogation. "That way," Joyce said, indicating the flashing torch lights that led up a set of stairs.

Jogging up the stairs with an air of resignation, Xander found two older students looking very sheepish and stuck under a spot light. "Okay, you two look innocent,” he snarked. “Can we turn off the light and alarm? I think we’ve found the bad guys," he asked the air. They vanished, leaving him, Joyce and the two kids standing there. The one-eyed man had no idea what to say. Which led to the kids getting more nervous as the strange man and woman just stood there glaring at them.

"It wasn’t us!" the boy suddenly blurted out as he attempted to right his shirt, and subtly fix the rest of his clothes.

"Right, so you were performing a comedy routine, and that’s why you were under a spotlight?" Xander asked sarcastically, noting the boy’s movements. He so didn’t want this responsibility. "Dammit, Joyce, is there a rule book?" he grumped. He knew how to deal with the younger female population, but both at the same time was a bit much.

"Yes, I’ll get you a copy," Joyce confirmed, then decided to let the poor man off the hook, this time. "You know the rules. Above the waist and over the clothes!" she recited to the frazzled couple. "And you, young lady, should not be in a boy’s dorm room," she declared, pointing at the girl. “I really need to fix that,” she mumbled to herself.

"Yes ma'am. Ummm, who are you?" the girl asked as she suddenly realized they had no idea what position these two adults held. She had never seen either one of them before, and she was sure she knew the entire staff.

Xander, wanting to confirm his position, leaned over to glare at them. "I am the new Head of Security. If I find myself disturbed again because of something like this, I'll start cutting off bits and breaking out the chastity belts! AM I CLEAR?" he roared, intimidating the kids. He wanted to make sure he was completely understood.

"Yes, sir!" they both cried, jumping to their feet and clutching one another in fear. 

"Good. Spread the word," Xander said calmer as he started pushing the boy out the door of the dormitory with Joyce dragging the girl. He stomped out of the portrait leaving a frightened group of kids in the common room. "So, just to clarify, you dragged me away from my life of dealing with super-powered girls… to corral a bunch wand-waving magic children, of both genders? Do you know how hard it was to keep the Slayers in line?" he all but snarled. It had been hard enough to keep Slayers in line, especially the new ones. Now this.

"Erm… I suppose you could put it that way," Joyce said with a sheepish smile.

"You're lucky I love ya, Joyce," he said with a sigh, pulling her into a hug. "We really missed you, you know. Things weren’t the same after you died," he said as he felt all his emotions over seeing her again come out. “Buffy almost lost it a time or two, but she’s a trooper and pulled it all together. She still keeps Dawn on the straight and narrow.”

"Sorry I'm late," Minerva huffed breathlessly, causing the scene to fall apart.

"Not to worry, Minerva. We took care of it," Joyce assured her, patting the poor woman’s back. "This is now part of Xander's duties."

"Please, tell me this doesn’t happen often,” Xander begged. He hated to break up kids like that. He wasn’t that far gone from teenagerhood to not remember how young love felt. However, he knew that someone had to monitor it, or there would be unwanted babies everywhere. He just hoped Sex Ed. wasn’t part of his new job.

"No, it usually happens once or twice a year. Or after harrowing events," Minerva explained, finally catching her breath.

"Great, just as bad as Slayers. If things are going as bad a you predict, then those numbers are going to jump," Xander sighed looking at his best friend’s ghostly mom.

“I do hope not,” Minerva sighed, but she got the feeling it just might.

Joyce and Xander headed back to Harry and Hermione and put them to bed.

"Will I always be staying here instead of the dorms?" Harry asked softly as Xander showed him where to sleep. He really hoped so. Somehow, this place felt like a home, even more so than the Gryffindor dorms did.

"Yes. I need you close just in case something happens. It sounds like Hermione will be staying too, so you'll have a friend nearby," Xander said reassuringly.

"Oh, okay," Harry said as he sank under the covers. "Night, Xander."

"Night, Harry," Xander said as he left, closing the door behind him. He waited in the hall for Joyce to finish with Hermione. “You wanted to talk to me about something?” he asked with a wide yawn.

“Yeah, it goes with your new job. There’s something in the castle that we need to take care of, but not tonight. Maybe when the kids to go bed tomorrow,” she said, leaning against the wall.

"Sure. Do I need to bring my axe?”

“Wouldn’t hurt.”

“I’m hitting the hay. Are you sure you don't want your room?" he asked even as he headed towards that room.

"Thanks, but no. I don't sleep. I’m just absorbed back into the castle when I’m not needed," she smiled. "Get some sleep, Xander, you have a lot to learn tomorrow and I have to help Minerva figure out how that troll got in the building." She pointed to the bedroom door and gently nudged him in that direction.

"Okay, night, Joyce," he said, giving her one last hug before heading for his new bed. It had been a long day, and it didn’t look like it was going to get easier from here on out.

The following morning, Xander woke up at the most ungodly hour of 6 a.m. He hadn't slept in a real bed in over six months and he had wanted to sleep in. Unfortunately, his inner alarm clock seemed to have other ideas. He got up and found a sleepy Harry and Hermione wandering down the hallway.

"Okay, there is only one bathroom in this joint so…" he started, going over in his head about schedules and stuff. He had a lot of experience from when they had all holed up in this very house when the First Evil was running about. If he remembered correctly there were over 12 females and 3 males. Spike didn’t count, as he didn’t need the restroom. It had been hell on the plumbing. “Hermione you go last, since you probably need more time. Harry, go first and try not to use all the hot water. I’ll go next, I’m used to either warm or cold showers. Then when we’re all done, we’ll meet downstairs.”

“You know, Xander, I could just magic up some more bathrooms,” Joyce said as she appeared next to them.

“Yeah, but then they’d never learn to share. It’s much better to get on a schedule than to go through school, not learning that valuable lesson,” he stated going down the stairs.

“Well, let me know if you change your mind,” she said as she followed him. They headed to the kitchen, Xander in search of coffee, while Joyce kept him company.

Following Xander’s schedule, they were soon seated in the living room as the two kids went through their books and made sure they were set for the day. Xander and Joyce were going over what they needed to do today. "Breakfast is eaten in the Great Hall. I’ll show you the way. You’re going to need to learn the layout of the castle, but until then we’ll help," she informed Xander, and then turn to Harry. "Xander needs to get into your usual routine. Professor McGonagall might want to see us as— speak of the devil!" she exclaimed as a knock on the front door interrupted her.

Xander headed over and opened the door to find Minerva standing there. He stood to the side offering the standard Sunnydale invitation, and Minerva stepped over the threshold.

"You must be quite the powerful wizard to perform transfigurations of this magnitude," the Transfiguration teacher said awestruck. In all her many years at this school she had never seen such a feat that could be done in one night. The details were a marvel in and of themselves.

"Me? No, I'm just a carpenter. Joyce did this." Xander said, waving to the woman in question. “While I could probably do this if I had the right equipment. It would take me months and a full crew,” he finished as he led her further into the house.

Minerva looked at Joyce in surprise.

"I am a magical building," Joyce smirked.

"I see," Minerva said as she sat in one of the free armchairs. "Breakfast will begin shortly, will you both be attending?"

"Yes, Xander needs to get used to Harry's routine, so he knows where he is at all times. Then he’ll back off and eat with the staff. The sooner we do this the better. We don't want to disrupt his life too much," Joyce said while indicating Harry, who was sitting and listening to what was being said about him.

"Harry, where's your comb? Or brush?" Xander asked the scruffy-haired boy, noting his rat’s nest of a hair style.

"I don't have one," the boy shrugged. He never really needed one, his hair did what it wanted.

The one-eyed man started to growl low in his throat. "Let me guess, your uncle and aunt never bought you one?" he asked.

"No, sir," Harry said with a bit of shame. He never liked to talk about his treatment at the hands of the Dursleys.

"I'm just Xander, Harry," Xander said, patting the couch next to him so Harry would sit there.

"Here, Xander, I've finished Hermione's hair," Joyce said, tossing the brush to him.

"Lice?" he asked as he caught it, looking at it dubiously.

"Magic!" she grinned. “Really, Xander, it’s something you’re going to have to get used to. Magic can do many wonderful things. In this case, keep parasites off heads. We learned that the hard way, way back when,” she said blissfully, her eyes glazed a bit in remembrance.

Xander had Harry between his knees and was brushing his hair while Minerva and Hermione quizzed Joyce on the castle and herself. "I don’t know what’s different about your hair, but it just won’t cooperate," the older man chuckled as he once more brushed the hair back, only for it to fall over the boy’s eyes again.

“Perhaps a haircut might help,” McGonagall said, eyeing the boy’s hair with interest.

“No, it just grows back overnight,” Harry sighed. He really would like to control his hair.

"Really?" Minerva asked curiously. "Mr. Potter, bring your brush over here for me," she ordered gently. With a gentle push from Xander, Harry shuffled over and relinquished his brush. After a few minutes careful brushing and examination, she sat back and let out a huge breath. "I know what the problem is. Well, not a problem, but I do know someone who can help. I’ll contact her after classes. For now, just do your best, dear," she told the young boy kindly.

After finishing with their preparations and going over what would be said to the students, the five left the house within the castle and went to breakfast. The Great Hall fell silent as they entered. All eyes focused on Xander. Rumors had been flying fast about the one-eyed man who had ripped a troll to pieces with his bare hands and nearly did the same to two students. Being teenagers —and humans—of course they believed the outlandish tales.

Minerva quickly strode to the front of the staff table with the other four hot on her heels. "If I could have your attention, for a moment, please," she requested somewhat redundantly, as every face was already locked on their arrival. "I have a few announcements to make. Firstly, the gentleman next to me is Mr. Xander Harris. He is Mr. Potter's new guardian and bodyguard. He will be the new Head of Security. Secondly, the woman you see here,” she pointed to Joyce, “is Joyce Summers, and she is going to be around the castle helping where she can. Finally, Professor Dumbledore has taken a short sabbatical and will return shortly. I am in charge until then. This should have no bearing on your classes. Please, continue with your breakfast." And with that, Minerva took her seat at among the staff, where she was instantly bombarded by questions.

Xander and Joyce followed Harry and Hermione to their seats at the Gryffindor table. The two adults found themselves fielding as many questions as the kids were. The Gryffindor students were all eager to hear more about their fight and to find out more about new ‘staff members’.

Ron glared at his friend. “You chose Hermione over me,” he growled, like he was not the one who left a friend in trouble.

“What? You’re the one who left,” Harry declared, put out that his friend was trying to make him the bad guy.

“There was a mountain troll in that bathroom,” the redhead defended.

“Look, Hermione was in trouble. I couldn’t just leave her there,” the dark-haired boy exclaimed.

“I’m confused,” Xander said, breaking the two boys apart, “I thought Gryffindor was the house of chivalry?” he said, turning to Joyce for confirmation.

“It is,” she concurred.

“Then how is leaving a girl alone with a troll chivalrous?” he asked, turning back to Ron.

“I’m just a kid, that troll was huge,” Ron stated, folding his arms in a defiant way.

“Okay, I get that, but so’s Harry,” Xander pointed out.

“He did alright,” was the mulish reply.

“You just keep telling yourself that,” the one-eyed man stated, ending the conversation. He turned talk back to what happened last night and how the troll was defeated, and the students hung on every word.

Transfiguration was the first class of the day, and Xander couldn’t wait to see the students try and turn something into something else. He hoped that it wasn’t human transfiguration. He still remembered when Amy had spent several years as a rat, while Buffy a few hours. And then there was the time Giles spent the day as a demon. And who can forget that Dawn used to be blob of energy. None of them had been happy about that but looking back he could see that Sunnydale had prepared him well for this world of magic.

He watched the class try to turn a match into a needle, and briefly wondered when that would be handy. He figured it was a baby step to the main event. He wandered the class and came across a young man sitting isolated in the back to the class. Whether or not it was from bullying or shyness, he didn’t know. Either way the kid looked like he was having harder time then the rest. Now, while he had some difficult times in school, Xander was far from stupid, so he figured this boy might just be a late bloomer.

“Hey, what’s up? You look troubled,” Xander asked the boy as he sat next to him.

“I just can’t seem to get it right,” the child moaned. “My Gran was right, I’m all muggle.” The boy lowered his head to his arms and looked like he was going to break out in tears at any moment.

“Well, that can’t be right. You got invited here, didn’t you?” the one-eyed man asked, gently grabbing a shoulder and nudging the boy to sit up again.

“Yeah, but I can’t get anything right,” the round-faced boy sighed heavily. He had been falling behind in all his classes. That’s why he sat in the back. He didn’t want the other kids to laugh at him, as they were wont to do.

“Perhaps it’s not you. That wand looks a mite old. Is it yours?” Xander asked, looking at the worn wand, which looked like it had actually seen battle. The finish was dull, and there were chips of wood missing.

“No, it’s my fathers. But, Gran said I had to use it. She won’t buy me a new one,” the kid said softly. He really hated the fact that his gran didn’t think him worthy, but did feel special using his dad’s wand. He wanted to be like him, but felt he was falling miserably short.

“What’s your name, kid?”

“Oh, um, well, I’m Neville Longbottom,” Neville stated shyly.

“Okay, Neville, I’m going to let you in on a secret. Where I’m from, we didn’t use wands. True, most of the witches I knew used rituals, and stuff. But my friend Willow got so good that she just used hand gestures. Her friend was just as good. So, you see, it’s all a matter of mind over matter. If you _know_ you can do it, then you can,” Xander said slyly and quietly. He didn’t want to disturb the class. “So, here’s the plan. You put your wand down, don’t worry, we won’t hurt it, and close your eyes. Feel your magic, feel the warmth and strength in it, and let it fill you up and flow to your hands.” The boy did as bid and after a few minutes, and many encouraging words from Xander, his hands had a faint glow about them. Xander was glad he was right and that the boy was being held up by a faulty wand. “Okay, now do the first spell that comes to mind,” he gently coaxed, and watched with satisfaction when Neville’s finger glowed brighter than the rest of his hand. “Okay, now, cancel it,” was the next instruction. And the light was gone. “Okay, now open your eyes.”

Neville opened his eyes and saw his softly glowing hands. “Is that my magic?” he asked astonished.

“Yup,” the proud man sitting next to him stated.

“Wow,” was all the boy could think to say.

“So, you _know_ you have magic, and you _know_ how it feels. Watch the teachers and do what they do but _feel_ you way to the spell. You did note that Professor McGonagall didn’t use words or wand movements, right? So, they really aren’t necessary. Just go with the flow and do it on your own.”

“But what about tests and stuff?”

“Well, learn the movements, and spells, so you can pass, but know in your head that they aren’t needed. If you keep this between us, then it could be a secret weapon against the bad guys.”

“Yeah,” Neville agreed, knowing better than some that there were bad people out there.

“So, now pick up your dad’s wand, but realize where your power comes from, and turn that match into a needle,” Xander said, softly.

Neville did just that and with great pleasure he continued to turn one match after another into needles. “This is great,” he all but yelled, getting the attention of his classmates.

“Mr. Harris, just what have you done?” McGonagall asked, wanting to rub her temples, but valiantly holding off. She had been watching him and saw what he did for Neville. She couldn’t hear, since they were in the back of the classroom, but she did see. She was just glad that the two weren’t seen by the other students, bar Harry, who had also watched them. It would be chaos, if the other children knew. She, and she supposed the other teachers, would not know how to handle it. Wandless magic was usually done by those of great power and after many years of practice. Now this child, who couldn’t do much magic earlier, was performing it easily. She didn’t even want to think about what the Ministry would do.

Xander did what he did best when he got caught. He put on a goofy grin and said, “Nothing.”


	3. I didn’t do it! Okay, I did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DaughterOfIris23 and Dashti-the-dramione-shipper are the betas for this chapter.

“Do not give me that, young man. Why did you not tell us that you were a wizard?” McGonagall stated after she dismissed the class. She made sure to tell one of the students to inform the next teacher that Harry would be late, since he was staying with Xander.

“What!? I’m not,” Xander declared, waving his hands around in denial. “Me and magic are no-mixy. No, no, no, there has to be some mistake,” he stated firmly.

“You just helped a young man to perform magic, without a wand. I am sure that you are a wizard,” she argued. “You knew where it came from and what it felt like. There is no denying that you must have some magic.”

“Joyce!” the one-eyed man cried desperately to the air. He didn’t want the responsibility of having magic. No good came of that.

“Don’t worry, Xander. It’s not like it was back home. Yes, you now have a magical core, but you can’t make the same mistakes here since we’re not on a Hellmouth,” Joyce said as she appeared next to the panicking man. “You have to understand,” she explained to Minerva, “Xander has a healthy respect for magic. Back in Sunnydale many things went wrong. The magic wasn’t the same there as it is here. No one had a magical core, they were just more entuned to the magic in the air. Sunnydale sat on a portal to a hell dimension. It made everything turn out badly. Well, most everything. It was luck or a strong will that made anything go right. The vibes from the Hellmouth could make spells overpowered and it caused a lot of chaos,” she explained to the two magicals watching Xander have a small nervous breakdown.

"That's not respect! That's pants wetting fear!" Xander argued, causing Harry to giggle. "Do you not remember my bestest friend? Willow Rosenberg AKA Darth Rosenberg? She who would destroy the world? How about Ethan Rayne? And Amy and her psycho mom. The magic vampire dude, that got people addicted to magic. There are so many…" he ranted, naming off all the bad magical people from his reality. They had not left a good impression on him. If it hadn’t been for Tara, Willow’s girlfriend, he would have thought all those who could perform magic were prone to evil. Willow had finally mellowed out, and the coven she hung around with were okay people. But, there were far more ‘Big Bads’ than good witches.

“Destroy the world?” Harry asked fearfully. Being new to the magical world meant he researched it and learned about its bad people. But to hear that someone was powerful enough to destroy the whole world, that was scary. 

“Xander, stop. You’re scaring Harry,” Joyce snapped, going over to the frightened boy. “Don’t worry, sweetie, those things won’t happen here. It’s a completely different universe. There’s no Hellmouth here,” she soothed the whimpering child, who gave a sigh of relief.

"Leaving all this aside, we need to talk about what Mr. Harris taught Mr. Longbottom. It could have major repercussions later," Minerva said sternly.

"Huh?" Xander asked.

“Mr. Longbottom will now have troubles in his schoolwork. He needs to know the wand movements and words to pass his tests,” she stated no unkindly. “To move to wandless magic so soon will hinder him in those tests.”

“Is he going to be marked down for doing it my way?” Xander asked, worried about the kid in question. He really hadn’t wanted to make it harder on the little guy. He had only been trying to help.

“Well, yes and no. He will get the practical part of the test correct, but will be marked down on theory,” was the thoughtful answer.

“So, why don’t you just grade on the practical. I mean, it shows they got the spell right, right?” the displaced man asked hopefully. Maybe it would be better this way, anyway.

“That’s just not done,” McGonagall exclaimed. “How will we know they have the theory correct if they do not do the assigned work? That theory is needed as a foundation for further spell work.”

“Well, there’s nothing that says they can’t do both,” Xander compromised, making Harry sigh again, only this time in disappointment. “You could test them on the practical and then give a written test on the theory. I mean, homework would go a lot faster if you only tested theory once a week. Perhaps weekend homework, or something,” he added with a shrug. This made Harry happier, he hated written assignments. He still hadn’t gotten used to using a quill.

"Minerva, just write up a proposal for Albus. He can sort out the details when he gets back,” Joyce said with a shrug. She was still unsure what to do about Dumbledore. While he was manipulative, he was still very well looked upon. She was just glad Xander was going to take care of that little problem tonight. It was something she could use against the Headmaster, but perhaps not enough to ban him from the castle.

“Very well. Perhaps Mr. Harris’ idea has some merit,” she sighed as she ushered them out the door. Her next class was already filtering in.

Charms went off without a hitch. Professor Flitwick wasn’t upset that they were late. He just smiled a waved them to their seats. Xander didn’t try to help anyone, and he could see the three kids were doing their best to do spells without words or movements. The half-size professor encouraged them discreetly, with kind words and eye winks.

After Charms they had lunch, where Xander told more stories. Then it was History of Magic time. They then trooped to class and everyone found their seats, with Xander at the back of the class. The only adult in the room reached for his axe when a ghost floated through the blackboard. That was until it took its place behind the desk and stared lecturing. The ghostly professor droned on and on. Most of the children were about to fall asleep, until the teacher suddenly stopped mid-sentence. "Oh, my!" he said shocked. "I'm dead!"

The students thought this was hilarious, as did Xander who was trying hard to be inconspicuous. Hermione was scowling at him. "What did you do?" she demanded of the one-eyed man.

The ghost was suddenly bathed in a soft, white light. “Oh, my,” Binns exclaimed, “what a beautiful light.”

“Me? I didn’t do anything,” protested Xander, all the while trying not to smirk.

“I know it was you,” Hermione insisted. “You’re the only new person here,” she accused, jabbing her finger into his chest.

“You wound me, dear girl,” the laughing man said in his best Giles accent.

“Work on your accent,” she snapped. “You do realize that without a teacher, you’re the only adult. That make you responsible for the class,” she said with a smirk, knowing he wouldn’t like that.

“Joyce!” he yelled for the second time that day.

“Xander, what did you do to Cuthbert?” the embodiment of Hogwarts asked as she appeared in the classroom. She was actually quite surprised. She had been trying to get rid of that blasted ghost for years, but she had no control over the spirits of Hogwarts. She could repel the living but not the dead, because they didn’t have a body to grab on to.

“Why is everyone accusing me?” he asked, trying, and failing to look innocent.

“I don’t know why everyone else is, but I know you, Xander Harris. So, don’t try that innocent act with me,” she said smugly.

“Fine. That ghost was boring everyone to death. I’m surprised you have any students left if he’s a core teacher. So, I just sent him on,” Xander finally admitted. It had actually been easy, all he had to do was a small spell Willow had come up with. Granted, Willow was much better at it than he was, and the ghosts of his reality weren’t quite as in the here as these were, but it had done what it was supposed to do. So, all was well. Maybe this magic gig would be okay.

“You know, when this gets out, you’re going to get inundated with requests from the other ghosts. I know for a fact that the Bloody Baron wants to move on, and I’m sure there are many more. Not all the ghosts are happy here,” Joyce stated thoughtfully. “Class is dismissed,” she finally addressed the children, who had been hanging on every word. “Go study in the library for your next class. I will know if you skive off. I’ll just ask the librarian if you were there or not,” she warned as they gathered up their books.

They all trooped to the library talking excitedly about what happened and admiring the man who did it. Rumors flew once again and Xander just rolled with the flow.

When it was time for the next class, Potions, they left the library and went to the dungeons. Xander could see the Gryffindors were very reluctant to go, so he was not surprised when Potions started out just like he thought it would. With a threat.

“You will leave my classroom immediately, or I will throw you out,” the greasy-haired professor stated, putting his hand on Xander’s chest the moment he walked into the room.

“You and what army, buddy,” the one-eyed man smirked, not the least bit intimidated.

“I do not need an army against one disabled muggle. Your blindside will be your downfall, mark my words. You will never see me coming,” the threats continued.

“Ah, but don’t you know, I’m the One-Who-Sees. You’ll never get the drop on me,” Xander said, grabbing the man’s hand and flinging it and the greasy man attached to it away from him. “As I am the Head of Security, it’s my job to make sure that the kids are safe. And from what I’m told about you, I felt the need to check you out.”

“Very well, you will sit at the back of the class and you will not interfere with my teaching. I will be more than happy to eject you if you do.”

“I’d like to see you try.” Xander pulled up a chair and settled on the wall. He watched the lesson proceed and noted that there seemed to be three sets of instructions for the kids. The ones on the board, the ones in the book, and a small notebook that only the Slytherins had. He got up to double check, and discreetly looked over the shoulder of a blond-haired boy. “Joyce,” he called for the third time that day.

“What’s up, Xander?” she asked as she materialized.

“This asshat is giving the kids not in his House incorrect directions. It’s like he wants them to fail. Now, I’m not the smartest man on the block, but I know that’s not right,” he said, snatching the kid’s book to show her.

“I should have known better than to trust a Death Eater,” she spat at the dungeon bat, who was swooping down on them.

“A what, now?” Xander asked, glaring at the man, who merely sneered back.

“The Death Eaters are the followers of Voldemort,” she snarled, ignoring the flinches from most of the class. “They were his most feared minions. The only reason this… _man_ is here is because Albus vouched for him.” She gave said man a look of pure disgust. “Since Albus is the Headmaster, I can’t just arbitrarily throw this piece of filth out. This, however,” she said with an evil smile, “will get him reviewed by the Board. This class is dismissed. Since it is your last class of the day, do what you will.”

“Stay where you are,” Snape snapped, only for the Gryffindors to ignore him and bolt from the room. Harry, however made his way to Xander, which earned a sneer from Snape. The Slytherins maintained their seats, until Xander turned his one good eye their way. What with the rumors that had been flying around the castle, they, too, fled. Xander put his hand on Harry to keep him there.

“You are to report to Minerva this evening. She will be discussing your actions and if she feels the need to take it to the Board, then we will support her. If I were you, Snape, I’d be more careful. Albus isn’t here to protect you right now,” she purred maliciously.

Snape just nodded his head, not the least bit worried. He had his ways of getting out of trouble, he didn’t need the old man to guide his hands. He wasn’t in Voldemort’s inner circle because he could brew a good potion.

That evening Minerva joined the two students with Xander and Joyce in their apartment. “I cannot believe the chaos you have caused in one day. Not even the Marauders created this much, and they tried,” she sighed as she sat on the couch. “I can understand what happened in Potions, I even understand what you did in my class, but please, tell me why you sent Cuthbert on,” she begged. “He has been teaching here for many years.”

“Yeah, but what have the kids been learning? I mean, really? I was in that class and most of them were falling asleep. How are they going to learn like that?” Xander defended his actions once again.

“How did you even do this? There are no spells to send on the dead. Raise them, yes; send them on, no,” she asked very curiously. As an educator, knowledge was always welcome.

"Should have asked the non-magical world,” he answered with a shrug. “They’ve been exorcising ghost for centuries,” he added.

"They can't see ghosts,” she sputtered. This can’t be true, muggles don’t have magic.

“No, but they can feel them. It’s more of a spiritual thing,” he explained. “It’s usually done by a priest, but I’ve heard it done by others. Well, if this reality is close to mine that is.”

Changing the subject, but making a mental note to research it, she asked, “What are your plans for the weekend? I do hope they don’t include anything like today.”

“Hey now, in my defense, I didn’t plan any of it,” Xander protested. He seemed to be doing a lot of that today. “I need to go out and see how much your world differs from mine. I might be able to do a few things if the timelines are close. I really hope the nightlife is different, or that if it’s the same that the Slayers are here as well. Probably not, since we didn’t have you guys back in my world.”

“It’s different,” Joyce assured him, “One of the first things I looked for when I got here was the Slayers. There’s not even a rumor of demons or Slayers anywhere. There are vampires, but they are a different breed. They aren’t soulless, and they mostly live on willing donors. There are a few that violate that, but they’re usually dealt with by the Ministry.”

“Oh, well, that’s good, I think,” Xander said, a bit morosely. “Anywho, I still need to see how much is the same. I mean, I can make a killing on the stock market.”

“Do you plan on taking Mr. Potter with you?” she asked, looking at said boy, who was talking quietly with Hermione. Though, she could see that they were paying very close attention to the adults.

“Yeah, and Hermione. I’m hoping she can guide me around.”

“Miss Granger is a muggleborn. While she knows of the muggle world, she knows very little of the magical one,” McGonagall stated, not wanting him to get lost and cause more chaos.

"You don't provide orientation trips in this school?" Xander asked perplexed. It would only make sense.

"Those would be great!" Hermione chimed in excitedly. Harry nodded quietly in agreement. He knew he would be completely lost without a guide. Hagrid had been great, but he didn’t really tell Harry what he needed to know.

“No, unfortunately. It has been asked for in the past, and while we do accompany them to get their supplies, the budget is only for the one day,” the transfiguration teacher sighed. There was so much to teach them, but so little time and money. The Board was a greedy group of purebloods who had no qualms on denying the ‘mudbloods’ of anything that would help them. “Harry’s mother, Lily, asked the same question when she came to Hogwarts. She was a muggleborn witch.” She smiled at the dark-haired boy who perked up at that bit of information.

"She was?" he said, with a huge smile.

“Yes, she was,” she answered kindly. “I will tell you more about her another time. As for you, Mr. Harris, I know a recent graduate I was going to invite over for another reason. I will ask her if she wants to show you around as well. She is a half-blood and well versed in both sides of this reality.”

“That would be great,” Xander said and then he frowned when he noticed Harry looked rather down, despite his best efforts to smile at Xander's antics. "What's up kid?" he asked softly.

"Nothing," Harry said, trying to be relaxed and not give anything away.

“Harry, as your guardian and bodyguard I am responsible for you, and that means your happiness as well. So, what gives?” Xander said firmly.

The boy gave a small sigh, “It’s nothing, really. Just… every time I hear someone talk about my parents, they either stop or say they’ll tell me later. I don’t know anything about them, except how they look. And really, that’s only my dad. I just know I have my mum’s eyes.”

McGonagall felt guilty seeing the sad look in the young boy’s eyes. “I'm so sorry, Harry,” she said, using his first name for emphasis. “I knew your parents well. We fought together in the last war. They were very brave people. It hurts to think about them, but I should not have brushed you off earlier. I just thought you knew more. I suppose I should not have thought that. Still, I will do my best to tell you all I know. Perhaps, a few stories tonight to hold you over?” she asked, petting his hair to calm him down, while Hermione held his hand.

“That would be brilliant,” the boy enthused.

“Then when you are finished with your homework, we will do just that,” she promised.

The adults spoke of menial things, knowing the children were listening in while the kids finished their homework. When it was time for bed, Minerva tucked the children into bed, making sure to tell Harry a few exploits of the Marauders, and some things about his mother. She talked until the child fell asleep, and then she joined the adults in the living room. She still marveled over the ‘house within the castle’. "Thank you for letting me put them to bed," she said with a warm smile.

“Not a problem. So, did you know Harry from before?” Xander asked, wanting to know more about his charge and the Dursleys.

“I knew him as a baby. I was there that night when we left him with the Dursleys. I will always regret not protesting harder,” she answered with a scowl. Albus had a lot to answer for, but his biggest crime, in her eyes, was abandoning that baby to those monsters. He had told her over the years that Harry was well taken care of and wanted for nothing. She had been mortified when she first spotted him enter the castle with the rest of his year group. He was so tiny, so scared. She had never seen a child so skittish. She had laid into Albus for hours that night. Not that it had done her any good.

“Don’t worry, they’ll get theirs,” Xander promised. He needed to learn more, yes, but he still had a few ideas that he could do to make sure those child abusers paid.

After a few more seconds, of silent sipping Joyce spoke up. "Minerva, I need you to teach Xander how to become an Animagus."

"May I ask why? It is not an easy discipline to teach. It will be a lot of hard work on your part," she warned the man in question. With him being new to magic, that was a great leap. However, if he could control magic like he spoke of in her class, then perhaps it might not be as hard as she was making it out. 

"Xander wasn't wrong when he claimed magic doesn't react well to him. I just want to see what happens. Xander is a unique individual. If things go the way I think they will, then he can teach a few others, and there may be a whole new type of Animagus. When he was brought to this reality, his… issues were tweaked slightly. They will hopefully give him an edge in this world," came the thoughtful explanation.

"You mean in dealing with You-Know-Who?" the ‘older’ woman asked worriedly. "I thought the prophecy says Harry has to face him?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Xander growled, but damn he hated prophecies. They were a bunch of drivel that people, especially magical people, took them way too seriously. Didn’t they know what a self-fulfilling prophecy was? "What's an Animagus?" he asked, changing the subject. He knew if he brought it up, it would be banging his head on a wall. Besides, if Joyce said he needed to learn it, then it would probably be very helpful. Mrs. Summers was a very intelligent woman. She has shown this time and time again in dealing with the nightlife of Sunnydale. She had stood toe-to-toe with Angelus and came away with just a sprained wrist. He smiled blissfully at that memory.

"A magical person who can change into a specific animal. Minerva, could you give us a demonstration?"

Shortly there was a small tabby cat sitting on the coffee table.

“Well, look at you. You’re the most adorable thing,” Xander gushed as he picked up the kitty. Who in turn scratched his hand, so he playfully dropped her on the couch.

The cat changed back into the professor, who straightened her skirt. “Behave yourself, young man,” McGonagall chastised, with a small smirk.

“If I’m right, Xander will be different,” Joyce stated, hoping what she was thinking was right. “It’ll give us an advantage over Tom,” she finished, throwing the little-known name out on purpose. She knew Dumbledore wanted that kept secret, but for the ‘life’ of her, she couldn’t figure out why.

"Tom?" Minerva asked, knowing the other woman was not talking about Tom the Bartender.

"Tom Riddle. He was a student here some fifty odd years ago,” the blond woman explained. “He was Head Boy and got an award for so-called stopping the Chamber of Secrets incident. You know him as Lord Voldemort."

Minerva gasped, she never knew that. She wondered if Albus knew, and then realized that that man had to know and was once more keeping secrets. Shouldn’t everyone know this? Wouldn’t it lessen the impact the name had on people if they realized he was just a man? Or it might have the opposite effect, and make others wary of family and friends, to know that anyone could turn evil?

Xander just shrugged. "Tom, Voldemort, they both bleed red, right?" he asked, not the least bit worried. He had faced the First Evil after all. This two-bit ‘Dark Lord’ was nothing compared to that.

Joyce shrugged in agreement but glanced at the contemplative look on the professor’s face.

"Right, we’re gonna have to hit the books," the one-eyed man sighed, wishing Willow and Giles were here. If they ever needed information, those two could ferret it out. They were whizzes at this type of stuff.

"Why would you want to hit books?" Minerva asked.

"Just an expression, basically means to use the books for extensive research. At least, it's what it means to me," he said wistfully, as he thought back fondly on all the research night he had shared with the Scooby gang. It was times like this, he even missed Spike. That thought made him come down from the clouds. "I have a question," Xander said as he set his drink down. “It’s about what we talked about earlier. Is there anyway the kids can get out of doing essays, or do them only on weekends, like I suggested? I mean, I get that they need to know this stuff, but can’t they just show you? It’ll save both you and them tons of time.”

“Essays also let them practice their penmanship and show that they have a good grasp on English. They will need those skills when they leave Hogwarts,” McGonagall explained.

“Oh, I guess that makes sense,” he said thoughtfully. While he had never been a studious person, he did know that good grammar and writing were essential to functioning in the adult world.

"Teaching English was my job, when I was alive. Sure, it wasn’t the English we know today, but to still have a good grasp on the language of the time is essential. I assume that it simply fell to the wayside in favor of actual magical classes," Joyce said wistfully as she recalled days gone by. "There are several classes not being taught anymore: English, Math, Geography, the sciences."

“Yes, we have been asked to bring those back on many occasions, and I will once again point you to the Board,” Minerva sighed. She really hated that the children were being so undereducated. They would need to know even the simplest of those things to make it when they graduate. Arithmancy and essays did a lot to make up for the lack, but, they didn’t help in blending in with the muggles. Many muggleborns went back into the muggle world and took night classes just so they could communicate well with their families.

“We should see about getting them started again,” Joyce said.

And the rest of the night was spent discussing just that. They began to come up with plans to thwart the Board and Dumbledore. They only hoped they weren’t planning in vain.


	4. Conquering Hero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DaughterOfIris23 and Dashti-the-dramione-shipper are the betas for this chapter.

The following morning, after a long night of planning, Xander and the kids ate in the Great Hall. Xander stood apart from the kids, giving them room. Instead, he sat with the older boys, talking mostly to the Weasley twins about the layout of the castle. Those two boys seemed to know where everything was. The smirks on their faces said they had a secret weapon. That was all right, as long as they were willing to share their knowledge.

“So, are you two ever coming back to the dorm?” Neville asked curiously. Hermione had been one of the few people that was nice to him, before he understood how to use his magic. Now, everyone was trying to get him to tell the secret, but he wasn’t sharing. He didn’t know if he should, for one, and they had all picked on him, for another. No, it was his secret to keep, and if Xander wanted to teach them, well, that was his prerogative.

“According to Xander, we’re staying with him,” Harry answered, with a shrug. He certainly didn’t miss sleeping with the other boys. “He says that’s the only way he can keep an eye on me. But, we’ve got our own rooms, so it’s cool. Hermione’s is even enchanted so only Joyce or McGonagall can go in.”

“Oh, okay. What happened after Potions yesterday?” the round-faced boy asked, wanting to hear all the juicy details. He didn’t think there was anyone he hated as much as Snape. Sure, the man terrified him, but he was unbecoming as a teacher. Heck, he was unbecoming as a human being in Neville’s opinion.

“Let’s just say that Snape will be behaving for a while. I wouldn’t hold hope that it’ll last, but relish it while you can,” Xander answered with a smirk as he came and sat by the boys, having wrung a good deal of the layout out of the twins. Minerva told him that she had threatened the Potions Master with having him fired, and would do her best to see if she could get him arrested. If he didn’t stop his harassing of the students. The man had done his best to talk, yell, and stare her down, but she was made of firmer stuff.

This caused a good portion of the table to look at Snape. The dour man sneered at them, causing the students to look away quickly. Xander pulled a large knife from his space and started cleaning his nails, which made Snape neutralize his expression rapidly. Without Dumbledore there to act as a buffer, and with the dressing down he got from McGonagall, he was going to _behave_.

They finished off their breakfast and Xander and his ward, plus Miss Granger, went to prepare for the day. McGonagall showed up just as Hermione was once again getting her hair brushed by Joyce, who popped away as soon as she was done. “Mr. Harris, this is Nymphadora Tonks,” she introduced as she came through the door. “Nymphadora, this is Xander Harris.”

“It’s Tonks,” the young woman stated, folding her arms over her chest. She really hated it when people gave her first name. She would never understand why her mum picked it. Didn’t she know how teased she would be when she hit puberty? If she had to hear one more sex joke, she’d scream. “Just call me Tonks,” she repeated.

“Why not Dora?” Xander asked, completely understanding why the girl might hate her name. He loathed his middle name with the same passion. “Tonks makes you sound like a dude. And I can tell you, you don’t look like a dude.” He looked her up and down. She was a fine-looking young woman.

“That works better, I suppose,” the young lady now called ‘Dora’ stated. He was right, it did sound more feminine. She could still go by Tonks at work.

“Great. So, what’s up?” the one-eyed man asked, looking between the two women. They were still standing in the entryway. He wanted to know who the girl was before he let her further.

"Did they not teach manners where you’re from?" Minerva questioned with a scowl. She had gone out of her way to get… Dora here. He could at least be polite.

"We rarely had time for niceties. Getting information out if people was more important," was the casual reply.

"Were you an Auror?" Dora asked with a great deal of excitement. She was a newly sworn Auror, and if he had been one, maybe he could teach her some things. That, and he wasn’t exactly hard on the eyes.

"A what, now?"

"Wizarding police,” Hermione chimed in, reminding the adults that kids were about, prompting Xander to guide the two women to the living room.

"Ah… no, I was very much not a cop," he stated with a bit of a chuckle as he took a seat.

"A criminal?" she asked hesitantly. The last thing she wanted was to mess up her new job by hanging around criminals.

"No… ummm… I was… ummm… it’s complicated. I guess you could call me a Night Ranger, or something along those lines. My friends and I dealt with things that went bump in the night. Stuff real police wouldn’t —or couldn’t— deal with,” Xander explained, trying to come up with a complete description without going into the gory details.

"I'm sure this will be an interesting story. One that you can share when you return," Minerva interjected. She had a few things to do today and she wanted to get these people moving. "Miss Tonks was raised in both the muggle and magical world. She will make a much better guide than I could. I need to remain here, especially now that the headmaster is not."

At that moment, Joyce popped back in, tapped Dora on the shoulder, and was instantly crushed in a hug.

“It’s so good to see you, Aunty Joyce!” The pink-haired witch beamed.

“You two know each other?” Xander asked, happy to see someone knew Mrs. Summers. When she was describing her… existence, he had worried that she was a recluse. That Dora knew her was a great relief.

"She helped me train my Metamorphmagus abilities. We met up when I was in the Hospital Wing," Dora replied, still hugging the woman who had helped her so much.

"Meta-morpha-whatta-gus?" He asked. It sounded like one of Giles’ world-ending monsters. He hoped this wasn’t just another girl who was going to try and swallow the poor Xandman.

"It’s an ability that lets me change how I look,” Dora explained, cycling her hair into many different lengths, styles, and colors, making the children go ‘Wow.’

"Oh, you're a shapeshifter. I ran into a few of you before… well, before. I'm guessing you think Harry is one?" he asked, turning to Minerva. Really hoping that was true. Shapeshifters were great at hiding. If they could develop that, Harry would be able to hide until he had no other choice. When he got more trained up, he could use it for spying and what not. This was going to be great.

"Yes, his hair did give me an indication of that," Minerva said kindly. "Speaking of which, Dora, I'd like you to meet Hermione Granger and Harry Potter."

"Harry Potter? Little Harry!" she squealed, reaching out and to hug the boy, but he darted out of the way and hid behind Xander.

"Dora, he's not used to hugs," Xander warned, gently pulling the boy from behind him, but keeping his hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, sorry. You loved to be hugged as a baby. Have you told Bill?" she asked McGonagall, hoping the older Weasley could help get Harry back to the happy baby he used to be. They along with Neville and the younger Weasleys used to be together a lot when the war was happening. Not Ron and Ginny, though. They were left with Molly. Bill and Dora’s job was to watch the little ones while the adults had their meetings.

"No, but it’s been a busy few days. I will do so after you leave," Minerva said, a bit guilty. She knew how the poor man had searched everywhere in his spare time. Now though, perhaps he could finally settle down and have children of his own, knowing that Harry was fine.

"Okay, and Bill would be…?" Xander asked as he watched the kids pay very close attention. Harry’s brow furrowed in thought, and Hermione’s head was swinging back and forth trying to take in all the new information.

"Bill and I used to watch you kids during the war. Well, there were a few older kids, but we stuck together. It was hard with all of you, but we tried to make it fun,” Dora explained, looking at Harry. “We used to play house. We even made ourselves a new family name — the 'Wee-Tonk-Potter-Bottoms'." Tonks grinned, causing the others to snicker. "You vanished after your parents were killed, and Neville's Gran kept him in hiding. Bill had his family, but he never stopped asking for you. When he grew up, he joined Gringotts to see if he could dig up information. He had to work his way up to get to where he is today, but he still isn’t high enough to get what he needs." She could see that Harry was hanging on every word. His body language was more relaxed, like he was happy that he wasn’t forgotten. It made her wonder just what type of life he had that even a hint of devotion from a stranger had such an effect on him.

"I know I'm gonna be doing this a lot, but-" Xander sighed in frustration. There was just so much he didn’t know. He was trying hard to keep up, but the words these guys threw around were confusing. They had no connection to the life he was used to. It was a bit like when he was in Africa and learning the language. His guide knew English, but only barely, so he had to learn a lot fast to understand what he needed to know. This wasn’t quite as bad, but he wasn’t going to remain ignorant much longer, not if he could help it.

"Gringotts is the wizarding bank," Minerva answered, seeing his confusion.

“That’s where you will be going to access my accounts,” Joyce added as she led them all to seats. Xander was never big on manners, and with parents like his, it was no wonder. There were many times she wanted to march up and punch his father, Tony, in the nose.

“Your accounts?” Dora asked, sitting next to Xander, while the other two adults took their seats. Harry and Hermione sat on the other side of Dora.

“That’s where all the tuition fees and donations go. It’s where all the updates and supplies are supposed to come from. For some reason, the Board of Governors has control over it,” Joyce growled. It was times like this she was angry that her school was run by that bunch of popinjays. It was supposed to be the headmaster’s job. How it got out of the school’s control she didn’t know, but she was determined to get it back. She was going to have Xander take over soon. He didn’t know yet, but he was going to get this school back to the glory it once was.

“Well, that’s something that’s going to change,” Xander snarled. He, too, didn’t like the lack of equipment in the school. Harry and Neville had told him about their first flying lessons.

“How are you planning that?” Minerva asked, disbelieving and wary, “The Board of Governors has been around for quite some time.” She would know; they had been cutting wages for years. If she didn’t have a small savings set aside, she would be hurting for money. All the teachers were the same way. Albus swore that he would fix it, but never did.

“Everything dies without a head. I find out where the head is, and then I remove it. Simple,” the one-eyed man said with a shrug.

“Xander, you can’t just go around killing people!” Hermione missed the metaphorical meaning he implied and gasped. She didn’t want to believe that the man she was starting to admire would do such a thing. She couldn’t get the image of Nearly Headless Nick out of her head.

“Who said anything about people? I was talking about paperwork, documents, money, whatever is keeping them in control.”

“Oh,” was the chagrined reply.

“If it makes it easier, Hogwarts is supposed to be independent of whatever government is in place. We made sure of that when we built the school. So, you just have to find out what happened while I was sleeping, and I’ll make sure you have the correct documents,” Joyce added with a vindictive smile.

“Sounds good. Maybe we should—” Xander started.

"I did it!" Harry suddenly squealed happily. Everyone turned to see that Harry's hair was now down to his ankles, and bright pink. He looked like a demented Cousin It.

"Wow, on your first try! That’s great, Harry," Dora grinned as Xander patted his back. The touch made the boy start, and made his hair revert to normal.

"It didn't last very long," Harry whined. He had been hoping to catch on quickly for the same reasons Xander thought of earlier.

"And that's where Dora and practice comes in," Joyce told him.

"Right, sounds like we have a lot to do today, so we should get started," Xander said as he stood up and stretched.

"You can leave from the Floo here. I’ve diverted it for the day. Dora, make sure Xander goes to Ollivanders. He needs a wand," Joyce instructed as they headed for the fireplace.

"Flu? I’m not going to start sneezing and getting snotty, am I? ‘Cause I gotta tell ya, I don’t look good like that,” Xander stated, remembering when he had the demon STD. While Anya had stayed by his side, she did make sure to let him know that his appearance led much to be desired. If there was one thing you could count on from Anya, it was brutal honesty.

"The Floo is a method of magical transportation involving stepping in and out of a fireplace," Minerva explained, stopping near the Floo and indicating it.

"Oh… so named in connection to a chimney flue?" Xander asked.

"Of course!" Hermione suddenly shouted in realization. She blushed when the adults grinned at her indulgently. 

Harry, however, startled so bad, he almost tripped. He still jumped at loud noises, and tensed in anticipation of the punishment he would’ve received back at the Dursleys. He felt a large hand on his back and looked up to see Xander staring down at him with a sad expression, and Harry forced a smile and tried to relax.

“You’re fine. Don’t worry. It’s going to take awhile to stop jumping like that. We’ll get in some practice later,” the one-eyed man said calmly, trying to think of ways to get the poor boy over that kind of reaction, but keep the need to be aware alive. Perhaps a mild prank war.

“I’ll go through first,” Tonks volunteered. “That way you all will see how it’s done. Just remember; do what I do and say what I say, and you’ll be all right.” She then took a pinch of Floo powder and threw it in the fireplace and called, “Diagon Alley,” and disappeared. Hermione quickly followed.

"Well, that looks easy enough. You go first, Harry, I'll be right behind you," Xander assured him.

Harry stepped into the fireplace and blurted out nervously, "Diagonally!" and vanished.

"Okay. He didn’t say the right word, did he? Or did I hear that incorrectly?" Xander asked worriedly.

“No, you are correct, but if you say ‘diagonally’ and follow him, you will most likely end up at the same destination,” Minerva said, shooing him to get going.

"Shit!" he yelled and jumped into the fireplace. He needed to find Harry and fulfill his role as a bodyguard. Who knew where the kid had wound up.

Harry looked around the gloom of where he landed and didn’t see anyone, never mind Dora or Hermione. His glasses had flown off his nose when he shot out of the fireplace, so he really couldn’t see anything, but there were no people here. He was very relieved when Xander appeared.

"Harry, even _I_ know that enunciation is important in spell work," Xander admonished as he picked Harry off the floor. "Where are your glasses?"

"They fell off," Harry said glumly.

"I’ll see if I can find them. If not, we’ll hit an optometrist, after I get some money from… Gringotts,” the older man said, as he started to look around the shop they landed in. There were jars, books, knives, swords, and other trinkets that he had no clue what were for. He was pushing aside a book when a gnarled old hand attached to a stand on the fireplace grabbing his wrist. “Mother fu— I mean bloody hell,” he said. He was trying to curb his cursing, but in the rush of panic there wasn’t much time to select more kid-friendly options. He was just going on what he heard Spike mutter all the time. “Listen, you no good piece of – whatever you are, let me go or I’m going to…” he let the threat hang as he shook his hand around vigorously trying to free his wrist. The agitation loosened the base, that was holding the hand, which broke and flew off, destroying some glass displays.

"Oi! What's going on in here? We're closed," a grumpy looking man with really horrible hair called out as he stormed in from a backroom.

"Little help, here!" Xander yelled as he lifted his hand to show the man his problem.

The man stalked over waving his wand as he did, and the displays to repaired themselves.

"Why would you put your arm in the Hand of Glory?" he asked incredulously as he squeezed the base of the thumb. The hand popped open and released Xander.

"I didn't! It grabbed me when I was looking for his glasses,” he answered, pointing at Harry. “Hey now, are you anywhere near Diagon Alley? Cause we’re a bit lost,” he added, putting his newly freed hand on Harry’s shoulder.

"Ah, you said 'Diagonally', didn’t cha'?" the man chuckled, gazing at the younger of the two. “First time Flooing?” he guessed.

"Yes, sir," Harry said, hanging his head, only to have Xander squeeze his shoulder reassuringly.

“It happens often enough. Usually to first timers. I’ve complained, but the Floo office won’t fix it. They said it’s my problem and that I should just change my Floo address,” the man complained bitterly. “Anywho, you’re in Knockturn Alley. You gest need to go outside, and head left, you'll soon hit Diagon Alley."

“I’m Xander, this here is Harry,” Xander said, squeezing Harry’s shoulder.

“I’m Borgin, of Borgin and Burkes. This here is my store,” Borgin said proudly, puffing up his chest importantly.

“Oh, where’s Burkes?” the one-eyed man asked curiously.

“We don’t talk about that backstabbing bastard,” the man answered, making Xander quirk an eyebrow.

"So, what is this Hand of Glory?" Xander asked, gesturing to the severed hand still in the man’s possession.

"A light source, providing guidance only to the holder," was the answer.

"Wow, what I wouldn’t have given to have that back in the Dale," Xander grunted. "How much?"

"100 Galleons."

“Now, I don’t know the money system you guys have going on here, as I only got here a week ago, but from what I do know that’s highway robbery,” Xander said, pointing his finger accusingly at the shopkeeper. “I’ll give you 50.”

"I'll take 60, and not a sickle less!" Borgin said, offended.

"Uh… 55, and that is my final offer. And dude, judging from the amount of dust around it, you’ve been unable to sell it for years."

Borgin opened and closed his mouth indignantly as Xander just stared at him. "Fine 55," he groused. "Don't touch that boy!" he snapped as he saw Harry reach for a locket. "It's killed 19 people already."

Harry snatched his hand away and moved to the middle of the aisle and placing his hands behind his back. He didn’t even know things could be charmed to kill. They didn’t teach that at Hogwarts.

That didn’t sound good to Xander at all. His usual Modus Operandi was to burn the joint down and salt the ashes, but since he was in a new reality, and he was pretty sure Borgin wasn’t a demon, he’d have to do it by the books. “So, how much do you want for this joint? And please, don’t waste my time.”

“You want to buy my store? Well, I’m not sure about that. I built this store from the ground up, and it means a lot to me,” the proprietor said, greed shining in his eyes.

“I’ll buy everything here. Look, do you have insurance?” Xander asked pointedly.

Borgin knew what that meant, now he had to weigh a decent buyout, or what he could get on his insurance. The problem was that he didn’t put much of what was in the store on his policy. Most of it was banned, illegal, or borderline illegal. If, for some reason, the store went up in flames, then he would take a major loss. He looked the man in front of him up and down. Who was this guy? He had never heard of a wizard that looked or talked like him. The one-eyed man had off handedly threatened him as well, so perhaps it was for the best.

“Dude, you are wasting my time. I have to get Harry to the Diagon Alley. I’m on the up and up, so let get this over with,” Xander said impatiently. He really did need to go, and he could always come back in the middle of the night. However, he did want to do this by the books, so he would give the guy a chance.

“If you’re serious and won’t rat me out, then I suppose I could let it go for 150,000 galleons; lock, stock and barrel. It’ll give me enough to buy a place to retire,” the tired man said. When he had opened the store, business was booming. Now, the ministry was on him all the time, and more people wanted to sell, not buy. He was going to cut his cost and leave, as long as this bloke _was_ on the up and up.

“All right, let me see how things go at the bank, and I’ll get back to you. I want to do this as legally as possible. No matter what though, I want this Hand of Glory, so could you hold on to it for me?”

“Sure. That’ll be two extra galleons,” Borgin stated, with a smirk.

“Yeah, right, sure, whatever. That Burkes guy, is he going to be an issue? I mean, his name is on the store.” Xander asked, tilting his head to one side.

“Burkes will never be an issue to anyone,” came the vague answer

“Okay. Hey, have you seen a pair of glasses?” the one-eyed man asked, looking around the shelves but carefully not touching anything.

"Have you tried summoning them?" came the question instead. Borgin wanted to see if this guy was even a wizard. He didn’t see a wand, and the man didn’t seem to know much. Still, he was a Yank, so it might be a cultural thing.

"Nope, but Harry, why don’t you give it a shot?” Xander looked down at Harry and smiled encouragingly.

“How? I can’t see,” Harry asked, squinting in the dark room.

“Just picture it, like I taught Neville," Xander instructed as Borgin watched curiously. He chuckled derisively at the thought of this young kid performing a fifth-year summoning spell. He was, therefore, shocked when the young boy did it wordlessly.

"By Merlin, that was amazing!" he declared.

“Ah, man, they’re broken,” Harry grumped, looking at his poor glasses, which were cracked beyond repair.

“Harry, remember? If an adult can do it, so can you. You saw this guy fix all the glass I broke, so…” Xander said encouragingly.

Harry once more waved his wand and impressed Borgin once again by doing the impossible. He beamed at Xander and put the glasses on his face. He scrunched up his nose at the depressing store. Now that he could see, he really didn’t want to touch anything. Well, maybe those snitches. How bad could a snitch be?

“Right, I’ll get back to you,” Xander stated as he ushered Harry out of the shop. The trip to Diagon Alley was short. With Xander waving his knife, sword, axe, or gun at anyone who looked at them funny, they made good time. When they got to where they were supposed to be in the first place, they spotted the two girls. Dora was easy to find with her pink hair.

"Thank Merlin, you found him!" the older of the two said, exasperated. She and Hermione were at their wits end with worry. The poor girl was about to call in the Aurors to come search for them.

Hermione took Harry’s hand and gave him a brilliant smile. “We were very worried. I’m glad you’re okay.”

“I’m fine. Xander found me right away,” he replied, giving her a warm smile. It was so new having people be concerned about him. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to react to that.

"Yep, he even managed to perform two wordless spells." Xander said proudly.

"Xander bought this ugly hand and wants to buy a whole shop!" Harry said excitedly. Not that he liked the shop itself, but there were some really cool looking things there.

"Wot's this?" Dora asked.

"No'ing much Guv'nor," Xander answered cheekily. "We landed in Borgin and Burkes, and he had this hand which is supposed to hold a candle that only gives light to the bearer. After hearing that he also had a necklace that killed people, I figured it might be safer to buy the shop and close the place down.”

"Borgin and Burkes?" Dora asked incredulously. "You took Harry to Knockturn Alley?!!" she screeched, causing half the population of the street to stare at them and the other half to move away even quicker.

"'Took'? There was no 'took-ing'!" Xander defended. This brought back some not-so-good memories of his friends. They were always jumping to the conclusion that he was the one in the wrong. They got better, but, to be truthful, he had pulled off some stupid stuff when he was younger. He still remembered his harrowing brush with becoming a singing demon’s ‘queen’. That was just wrong on so many levels. "He went, and I followed."

“Oh, Harry, you said ‘diagonally’, didn’t you?” she asked knowingly. "Borgin calls it in, but he won’t let us set a time to come and fix it. We think that’s because of all his shady merchandise. He just calls it in so we have a record and he can’t be held liable."

"Well, if all goes well at the bank. Hey, maybe you can jump start your career by going through everything when I buy the shop. That is, if Joyce is correct, and I have the funds for it,” Xander offered, always one to help a pretty lady. Sure, they were usually trying to kill him, but that never stopped him. At her gobsmacked look he chuckled. “The bank?” he asked, prodding her to stop gaping.

"Sure, right, the bank,” she said in a daze as she stumbled her way through the crowds. What he was offering would jump-start her career. Heck, most seasoned Aurors didn’t get a break like this. She’d have to get permission from Bones, but the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement seemed to like her. Bones would keep it out of the Minister’s slimy hands. She hoped.

She almost ran into a wall with shock, so Harry and Hermione grabbed and elbow each and led her to the bank.

"Please tell me that's not the bank," Xander begged as he noticed the huge white building looming in the distance with domineering script etched over the doors.

"Yeah, that’s where Hagrid took me,” Harry explained, not seeing the issue. The goblins were grumpy, but they weren’t mean.

"Right, and the guys running this bank, what do they look like?" the one-eyed man asked, running through what he knew about these guys. If they were who he thought they were…

"About waist high, pointed ears, sharp teeth," Dora answered, shaking herself out of her daze. She smiled at the kids and reclaimed her arms.

"And how many wars have you been in with them, and when was the last one?" the ex-demon hunter sighed.

"Quite a few over the ages. The last one was a couple of centuries ago,” this time Hermione replied. It was one of the few things they learned in the History of Magic. That, and she had actually read the book.

"Yep," Xander sighed, "couldn't be easy." He looked around the street quickly. He instructed Dora to take the kids to get an ice-cream and that he would be back shortly. He then hefted his axe and wandered to the bank, leaving behind three very confused people.

It was getting late in the afternoon and Joyce and Minerva were sipping tea, fretting over where Xander and the kids were. They should have been back quite a while ago. Joyce hoped Xander didn’t have any issues with Gringotts. She knew the goblins could be surly, but she had given him the key. It never crossed her mind that he might have run across them in his previous reality.

Minerva was concerned they might have run into a Dark wizard. Especially since Harry had called the wrong Floo destination. Xander didn’t know any defensive magic and she wasn’t sure if he could handle an adult wizard. So, they both sat silently and worried.

That worry increased when Harry stumbled through the Floo saying, “Xander says you might need to get Dora a stiff drink. They’ll be here in a second.” He was a mite concerned, as most of his bad punishments happened when Vernon had a ‘stiff drink’. It usually meant a bad day at the office, which translated into a bad night for Harry.

A few minutes later, Hermione and Xander came through together supporting a shocked Dora.

“Oh, dear, whatever happened to you, Nymphadora?” McGonagall said, helping her to the nearest chair.

"Xander… Goblins… Borgin’s…" she mumbled incoherently, trying to make sense of all that had happened this day. She didn’t know if the man was unlucky or just plain crazy. Perhaps both.

Xander and the kids were chuckling at the poor girl.

"Xander! Make with the 'splainy!" Joyce teased, using her daughter's atrocious verbal mannerisms.

So, he did, explaining what happened in Knockturn Alley, and the buying of the shop. "No one told me the bank was run by demons," he finished, frowning at the two older women.

"It is run by Goblins," Minerva argued. Sure, they weren’t human, but to call them demons was uncalled for. She had no idea the man held such prejudices. She’d given him the benefit of the doubt since he wasn’t from this world.

"That's not what we called them back home!" Xander retorted, knowing what she was thinking. It wouldn’t be the first time someone misunderstood him. He didn’t hate all demons; Clem was a great guy. But the ones these guys called goblins were nasty buggers. They didn’t want to take over the world, but they were a pain in the neck if you didn’t show them who was boss right away.

"What did you call them?" Hermione asked, hoping for more information on his reality. There was so much about her hero that she didn’t know.

"Something with too many hyphens and a really unhealthy vowel-to-consonant ratio. Past experience has shown me that you need to conquer these guys, and do it fast. Giles is their king back home. Long story short, I sent these three to get some ice-cream and took care of it. I don’t want to have to deal with a war with… goblins, if we still have to deal with Voldyshorts," he explained, making everyone feel a bit better about the whole situation.

"You conquered the goblins?" Minerva asked in disbelief. That was unheard of, the goblins were a warrior race. You didn’t just go in a takeover. It was against all the treaties. Oh, how she hoped this didn’t start a war.

“Yeah, it was easy,” he shrugged. “Their pride is so big that they believe they are stronger than humans. They will never give in until you make them. I called a non-magical challenge, and when he came at me with a knife, I picked him up by his shirt and held him in a half-nelson. Then I proceeded to give him a noogie until he cried uncle,” Xander explained, looking at Dora to see how she was handling it. Not well, judging from her still-cycling hair.

Joyce burst out laughing. "Oh, my! Sally did pretty much the same thing when he conquered them!" she exclaimed happily.

"Sally?" was the chorused question.


	5. Blinding Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this one is a filler chapter, and mostly remains on the original plot. It is however setting things up for later.

“Oh, don’t be silly,” Joyce said with a smirk. “You know exactly who I mean. Well, maybe not Xander.”

“You cannot be talking about Salazar Slytherin,” Minerva gasped, cutting a glance at Dora, who took another shot of firewhiskey.

“Of course, I am; who else would I mean?” the embodiment of Hogwarts replied.

“Now, I know what you told me, and that this Salazar was one of the co-founders of the school, but why are these guys freaking out?” Xander asked as he watched the magicals of this world have mild panic attacks. He had only seen reactions like this when that Voldyshorts guy was mentioned.

“They believe the rumors that Sally was an evil man. I did my best to stop those, but they grew beyond my borders and nothing I said was taken as truth. It’s one of the reasons I went to sleep the first time. I couldn’t stand the fact that they made him out to be such a horrid person. I thought of the founders as my adopted children, and to hear such drivel made me mad enough to sleep,” Joyce pouted. She hated that one of the men she thought of as a son was so vilified that no one would take her word as proof of his innocence. They said she was biased, and wasn’t seeing the bad side of him, which was ridiculous. She saw Buffy’s faults, after all, didn’t she?

“Well, if it makes you feel better, Joyce, I believe you,” Xander offered. He saw how much it hurt the woman who was once like a mother to him.

"How did the shopping go?” she asked, changing the subject.

“Well, you see, I kinda spent most of our time at the bank setting things up. I’ll have to go again soon. Maybe we’ll finish shopping when things settle down there,” Xander replied sheepishly. Gringotts had a good system set up, so there was little change there. No, he had spent all day with Harry’s account manager, and the former King. He wanted them to set up some investments in the non-magical world and get rid of some that were losing money. Things may not be the same, but investing was a gamble anyway, it just happened to be legal. That, and he needed to understand just what running his new kingdom entailed. He didn’t want to start a rebellion when the whole point was to stop one. The ‘goblins’ were simple enough to understand; most warrior nations were. It was all about showing their bravery to everyone. There were some intricate things he needed to research, but all and all it was of the good.

"Did you at least get a wand?" Joyce asked with a knowing smile. Like she had a secret that she wasn’t sharing.

Xander slouched and folded his arms over his chest. “We tried,” he pouted. “That crazy man kept putting wand after wand in my hand. The problem is most of them worked. Just not good enough for him. Then he did some spell on me and said I didn’t have a core.”

Harry giggled, since he had gone through a similar experience. Ollivander was just plain creepy, he still remembered the dire words he received from his time in the wand shop.

“That’s ridiculous, of course you have a core. You would not be able to perform magic without one,” McGonagall stated firmly. She had seen the few things the man had tried since her class. Not many, as he was still feeling his way, but she could see that he was quite powerful.

“Do me a favor, Minerva, run the spell over his whole body,” Joyce said slyly.

The women of the group gasped when the spell showed that Xander’s core was in his head.

“The-One-Who-Sees?” Xander growled. He really hated that title. It was given to him by a madman, and he didn’t like to remember the day he lost his eye.

“Sorry, Xander, you are who you are. This gives you something more in common with Harry. He hates his ‘Boy-Who-Lived’ title as well,” Joyce said, patting the grumpy man on the arm.

“Wots ‘The-One-Who-Sees’?” Dora asked, a bit slurred. She had just shot down three firewhiskeys. McGonagall harrumphed and sent a sobering spell at the girl.

“A story for another time,” Joyce said smoothly.

"Pray tell, how do you expect to perform magic without a wand?" Dora asked. She had heard only powerful wizards could do wandless magic, and this guy, while well-built and cute, didn’t look all that powerful.

"Like this," he said with a grin as he caused a small ball of fire to appear in his right hand.

"Cool!" Harry exclaimed as Hermione, Tonks and Minerva gasped in shock.

"That’s what I’ve been trying to explain,” Joyce said, pointing at the fire as Xander closed his hand and snuffed it out. “Magic goes peculiar around him. He once had a witch cast a love spell for him to get his ex-girlfriend back. The whole town’s female population, including myself, fell in love with him for the afternoon.” She blushed a bit remembering how forward she had been with the then teenage boy. It had been awkward for weeks following that incident.

“That wasn’t the creepy part. No, the worst part was when Drusilla, the crazy vampire lady, started calling me her kitten,” Xander confessed with a full-body shudder. Searching for a change of subject, he observed Harry looking very hard at his hand. “Harry, try something simpler, like a Lumos.”

“All right, Xander,” Harry agreed.

"Minerva, can you cast the same detection spell on Har-OWWWWWWW!!!" Xander, and everyone else, shrieked as Harry succeeded in creating the light. Harry was a tad zealous, however, as the light appeared exceptionally bright and very painful to the human eye.

Harry quickly doused the light, but the damage was done.

Hermione immediately panicked. Dora pulled her into a hug while the adults remained calm. “Can anyone see?” Xander asked.

“I can,” Harry and Joyce answered.

“Figures,” the older man laughed. “Harry, run and get Pomfrey. Joyce, can you be our eyes?” he said, turning to where he last saw the two of them.

“Okay,” Harry stated as he got up and ran from the room. As he ran, he contemplated the last week. He knew from his reading that Xander’s conquering of the goblins gave him the upper hand. The older man now commanded an army of vicious warriors. That was great. If Voldyshorts ever came back, then Harry wouldn’t have to stand alone like he had done his whole life.

The Dursleys were cruel and spiteful, and Harry was their favorite stress release. He had spent most of his free time reading in small corners of the school and in town libraries. He had learned a lot there. One thing he knew for certain was that knowledge saved lives. And the knowledge that Xander had imparted this last week was going to do just that. All he had to do was sit and learn from the man, and he’d never have to be afraid again.

“Potter!” came a voice that he really was starting to hate.

“Yes, Professor?” Harry answered politely.

“What are you doing, running about the castle so close to curfew?” Severus Snape’s silky voice asked as he stopped in front of Harry.

“I’m on my way to get Madam Pomfrey,” Harry answered as he tried to edge away.

“And why would you need her? Have you been into mischief? Did you hurt one of your little friends, or perhaps your _bodyguard_?” came the snide inquiry.

“No… well, yes, but it was an accident.”

“Your friends will suffer the consequences of being friends with such a stupid boy. You will come with me, and I will escort you to your dorm,” Snape said, grabbing Harry’s arm and dragging him back the way they came.

"But it's an emergency, sir!" Harry stated loudly, pulling the opposite direction with all his might.

“I highly doubt that a first-year student could do such harm as to call anything an emergency. You are just as arrogant as your father,” Snape said as he pulled the much lighter child along.

“Lumos!” Harry cried, and suddenly a bright light filled the corridor. Snape screamed in surprise, giving the boy the chance to pull away. He ran to the infirmary and yelled, "Madam Pomfrey! You have to hurry. I’m not sure how, but I’ve blinded everyone in Xander’s rooms."

“Oh dear,” she said, grabbing her emergency kit, which was needed at least three times a year, and followed the running boy out the door. “Tell me what happened along the way,” she instructed. They ran into Snape arguing with a suit of armor, who was holding the recently blinded man captive. But said suit would not let Poppy treat Snape, and Harry said that they needed to hurry along. She gave the Potions Master a bit of a glare, knowing that if the castle’s protections were preventing him from treatment than he must have done something very wrong.

Back in the apartment, Joyce was fuming. "Minerva, you have to do something about that Snape!" she said angrily. "I just received word that he accosted Harry and tried to take him back to the Gryffindor dorms and wouldn't believe Harry when he said you sent him to the infirmary! What if Harry was ill and needed help himself?" she said in exasperation.

"Is Harry all right?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"He's fine. He escaped Snape by blinding him like he did you all. He's already on his way back with Poppy," she assured her.

"Cool! If this is how he reacts under pressure, then training him will be a cakewalk," Xander grinned. Now he hoped that he could break the boy of the bad habit of flinching whenever anyone touched him.

A few minutes later, Pomfrey and Harry entered the room. Seeing everyone except Joyce staring blankly at the wall, she quickly made her way to the youngest. “Joyce, what is going on? I just saw Severus having an argument with a suit of armor. The armor wouldn’t let me treat him, so I came here to find out what was happening,” she said as she examined Hermione’s eyes.

“Harry was trying to do some wandless magic and accidently blinded the room. I’d wager that he did the same to Snape,” Joyce said with a smirk as she ruffled the young boy’s perpetually messy hair.

"I see, well, let’s try and keep the accidents down to a minimum,” she lightly admonished the worried-looking child.

“I’ll try,” Harry said shyly.

"Poppy, do you perhaps know Joyce? You seem very familiar with each other,” Minerva said in mildly clipped tones. How could a woman who both Dora and Poppy knew have been hidden for so long? Didn’t Joyce say she was sleeping for centuries?

"Simply put,” Joyce explained while Poppy healed Hermione, “I have found, over the decades that I have been awake, that it is much easier for me to get to know the on-duty medical personnel. That way, if I arrive with a student that requires attention, I don't have to keep explaining who I am. I used to do it all the time before I went to sleep."

“And the reason why none of this is ever mentioned to the staff in charge?” the transfiguration teacher inquired, still put out that she didn’t have prior knowledge of Joyce. She had been here longer and was higher in the school hierarchy.

“Oh, well, I just help them think that it’s unimportant,” Joyce answered slyly.

“Wait a cotton-picking minute here, you created a Sunnydale Syndrome?” Xander asked with a bit of awe. While frustrating, the Sunnydale Syndrome had saved them a lot. Basically, what it did was make people believe that the demon activity was caused by gangs hopped up on PCP. This did make it bit difficult when people believed Buffy to be the leader of that gang, but it kept the people from panicking. On the other hand, it made the citizens of the community victims, since they didn’t watch out for things that went bump in the night.

“Kind of,” she confessed, knowing what he was thinking. “Though I prefer to call it the Summers Syndrome. I did get if from Sunnydale, though. I can’t tell you how frustrated I became after dying to realize that I missed so much of my daughters’ lives because of that… spell… curse… whatever,” she huffed. So much time lost.

"Well, Harry, you didn’t cause any serious damage, just some very temporary blindness. I can heal it up with no problem,” Pomfrey stated as she waved her wand over the young girl’s eyes.

"I can see!" she exclaimed happily.

"Any spots in your eyes?” Poppy asked, waving her wand once again, checking for any lasting effects.

"No, ma'am," she said respectfully.

"I'm sorry I blinded you all," Harry said worriedly. Things were going so well with this group of people, and he really didn’t want to mess that up by doing damage that couldn’t be reversed. Hurting someone you cared about had to be on that list.

"No worries, Harry," Xander assured him, blinking now that he could see. "You wouldn’t believe how many times me and my friends accidently hurt one another. We got over it and still loved one another,” he added, knowing just what the boy was thinking.

Pomfrey healed everyone else and started for the door. "I suppose I should go and fix Severus," she stated, wrinkling her nose at the prospect of having to treat the vile man.

"Just a moment, Poppy," Minerva said firmly. "Joyce, can you have Snape brought to the Headmaster's Office? Poppy can fix him there."

“Not a problem,” the blonde woman stated and left to do just that, followed by the two staff members.

“Well, this has been an interesting day, but I’ve got an early morning. I think Joyce put the Floo back in the Head Office, so I’ll just join them. Harry, it was wonderful to see you again, and I will see you soon to start your lessons,” Dora stated as she and Xander got up.

“I’m going to head there, too; you guys do what you want until bedtime. Why don’t you go see how your friends are doing? I’m sure Neville would be glad to see you,” Xander said as he passed the two children. He really didn’t want them here without supervision, so sending them to the Gryffindor common room would give them something to do.

“Okay, Xander,” the kids said together, then giggled at one another. They followed the adults out the door, but turned toward their old dorms. They found Neville sitting with the other first years and went to join him. The rest of the Gryffindors saw them come in and started to ask some questions they couldn’t with Mr. Harris around. Questions like, “How did he lose his eye?” and, “Is he single?” Harry and Hermione gave what information they could and told the whole of Gryffindor about their adventures since the man had arrived. Many of the young Gryffindors has their doubts, and it wasn’t until they were asked to prove that Harry could cast a blinding Lumos that Percy called a halt. He took the kids back to the ‘house within the castle’ and stayed with them until they fell asleep.

While Harry and Hermione were undergoing their interrogation, Severus Snape was being dealt with in the Head's Office. “I want that brat expelled. He assaulted a teacher, and that is a punishable offence,” the greasy-haired man ranted as he paced in front of the room. Poppy had fixed his eyes and returned to the infirmary. Joyce and Dora were sitting behind McGonagall, watching the two battle it out. Xander was standing guard at the door.

“And just why did he feel the need to assault you, Severus?” McGonagall asked from her place behind the desk.

“He was running through the hall close to curfew. Celebrity or not, he should not be able to break the rules without consequence. He gave some lame story about needing to get Madam Pomfrey,” came the silky answer. “As if a child his age could do enough harm to warrant such an emergency.”

“I, for one, can tell you that first-years can and do cause untold damage,” Minerva stated with a bit of force. “You, as a professor, should know this. I know for a fact that you send many children to the Hospital Wing every year for exploding potions,” Minerva raised her eyebrows, daring him to refute her claim.

“That is because they cannot read simple instructions, it is no fault of my own. That is neither here nor there, that child needs to be punished,” Snape insisted. He wasn’t going to let this discussion derail into an argument about his teaching habits. He knew the staff didn’t like him and were biased against his House.

“We could always use Veritaserum,” Dora suggested slyly, practically itching to get the man under the potion.

“Yes, that will get to the heart of the matter. I will be more than happy to open my stores to you. You are not as big of a dunderhead as you were in school,” the Potions Master claimed.

“We’d be using it on you,” the Junior Auror stated firmly. “The Ministry doesn’t allow its use on children. You’re the one who’ll have to prove your complaint. We know Harry was out for a reason. You’re the only one stating he was breaking the rules.”

“We’ll forego that route for now,” Snape said quickly. There was no way he was going to let anyone put him under the truth serum. He had far too many secrets that needed to be hidden. His life would be forfeited if anyone knew what he knew.

“Too late,” Dora chirped with a vindictive smile. She truly hated this man. She had to take remedial potions to get into the Academy. Her mother had to pay out of pocket for that to happen. She was one of the lucky ones that could afford it. Since this man started teaching, the price of the tutors doubled, since demand was so high. “You just admitted having a Ministry controlled potion in your stores. So, I’m going to have to report you.”

“It’ll never stick,” Snape said snidely. “Albus will get me off.”

“Yes, but in the meantime, you will be out of my castle,” Joyce said sweetly.

Snape tried to storm out of the room, only to be confronted with an angry Xander.

"Take a seat," Xander said calmly, pointing to the chair in front of the desk. “Hey, Dora, can you get someone in charge here?” he asked, never taking his eye off the greasy-haired man as he watched him throw himself into the indicated seat.

"Yeah, I’ll call Kings, he’s my trainer,” Dora said with a smile as she headed toward the Floo.

"Minerva, you might want to find a new Potions Master. I’m not letting this man back into my home,” Joyce said viciously. She had been waiting years to throw Snape out.

“That might be a bit difficult,” Minerva said fretfully. “Severus is the best Potions Master in the United Kingdom.” It was bad enough she had to find someone for History, and now Potions? If this kept up, they would have a whole new staff come New Years.

“Can’t you hire from abroad? Or, I could ask the goblins,” Xander suggested, throwing a smirk at Snape.

“The Board will never agree to that,” Snape smirked back. “Nor will Albus.” He knew those stuck up purebloods would never admit that foreigners were better, and there was no way they’d let creatures teach their children.

“Well, we’ll just have to work around both of them,” Joyce said snidely. This would go nicely with their plans anyway. Get competent professors in here, and then add new classes. Yes, this could work.

“I have a question,” Xander stated, glaring at Snape, who paled a bit. “Why didn’t you just toss him out like you did Dumbledore?” it was something that bugged him a lot. How could the headmaster allow this man to abuse the children without fear of reprimand? He just lorded his authority over the children like the tyrants of old. This was the twentieth century. Stuff like this shouldn’t happen.

“Well, it’s politics mostly,” Joyce confessed. “While I am here in spirit, and can interact with anyone within my area, I can’t just throw people out without just cause. Not without a lot of political ramifications. That, and I don’t really have the power to make it stick. Most people don’t know I’m here. I didn’t have any power until now. You will be my hands outside these walls. You can make the Ministry understand that this Death Eater broke the law,” she tried to explain. Her hiding for so many years had reduced her influence on what was happening in the school. Now that Xander could act in her stead, he could enforce her rulings. 

“Yeah, but…” Xander started, only to be interrupted by bright green flash of the Floo.

Any further discussion was halted by the arrival of Dora, and the man they assumed was ‘Kings.’ Introductions were made, and the events of the night were told.

"We can take him in for questioning, but we’ll need permission to search the dungeons," Kinsley warned, knowing that without evidence the whole thing would get thrown out.

"Xander can give you that. He owns the school," Joyce offered with a smug look.

"He does?" the other occupants, living and portrait alike, exclaimed.

Xander’s eyes bulged. "I do?"


	6. Flying Quidditch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DaughterOfIris23 and Dashti-the-dramione-shipper are the betas for this chapter.

“Of course, he is. Do you think I’d bring him here without giving him the means to protect me and my home?” Joyce asked as she went to a painting in the far corner. She tapped on the frame three times, and said to the lion-like being portrayed there, “Regulus, could you give me my documents?”

“Is it time, my Lady?” The being yawned and stretched as if he hadn’t moved in over a century, which likely he hadn’t. Not since the last time Joyce talked to him.

“Yes,” was all she said. The painting popped open and Joyce removed the large stack of pristine parchments from inside. She carried them to the desk and waved Kingsley over to test them. “You’ll find that they are all in order.” Joyce smirked and went to stand by Xander.

“You gave me a castle?” he murmured to her. He knew she had given him the run of her accounts, but not the whole shebang. What the heck was he going to do with a school? The small group of Slayers he had overseen had been hard enough.

“And the surrounding land,” she stated with a huge smile.

“What am I supposed to do with all that?” he whined.

“Protect it, and use it to protect Harry,” she answered as if it were obvious.

“Merciful Zeus, that’s a lot of responsibility, Joyce. I have a hard time keeping my socks in order,” he complained as he watched the dark-skinned Auror perform an age test on the papers.

“You’ll be fine. I have a lot of faith in you,” she commiserated, patting Xander on the arm. “Unlike my daughter,” she mumbled under her breath. She always hated the way Buffy would put Xander down. Oh, her oldest daughter liked him well enough, but she had no faith in him whatsoever. No matter how many times the man who stood by her saved the day, even the simple things, like confronting a centuries old vampire, Buffy still saw Xander as a lackey. Sure, when he was a teen, he had been the class clown, but that didn’t stop him from throwing himself into whatever danger needed to be resolved. She truly hoped that he could give Harry some of that bravery and loyalty. Her thoughts were interrupted by the documents flashing green.

Kingsley nodded at the indication that the documents were indeed valid and went to Xander. “I’m going to need a drop of blood to verify that you are the person named in these papers,” he said.

Xander shrugged and reached behind his waist and pulled a sharp dagger from nowhere.

"Wow! Where did you hide that?" Dora asked, looking for some sort of bag or holster and seeing none. Something like that would help her career a lot. An arsenal that no one could see? Yeah, that would be super cool.

"I’m not entirely sure. A friend set it up for me, something about a pocket dimension… I call it my pocketspace. I just reach in and get what I want." Xander frowned, wondering if he could set that up himself now. Obviously, it would be useful for Harry, and especially Hermione. That girl carried far too many books. She was like a mini-Willow. “It cleans whatever I throw in it. Clothes, weapons, even dishes. Saves a lot of time on the road.”

"Tonks, pay attention." Kinsley admonished as he made his way back to the desk. He tapped the papers with the blood-tipped knife, and the blood spread out and glowed green. A name appeared above them, hovering in the air: Alexander Lavelle Harris – Lord Hogwarts, King of the Goblins.

Xander groaned. "Couldn't you have magicked that away?" he whined at Joyce, who just stuck her tongue out at him.

“Tampering with your name would have made the documents invalid,” she smirked.

Meanwhile, the spell continued to list what seemed to be his genealogy, only instead of his parent's names, the spell added a single name above his: Joyce Summers – Lady Hogwarts. The names flashed a bright white and then disappeared.

"Immaculate conception?" he asked Joyce with a grin.

“Divine intervention,” she countered. “When I was brought here, I made sure that you, and the girls, were counted as my children. I always wanted to adopt both you and Willow, but mostly you. That blasted Sunnydale Syndrome kept interfering.”

"Does this mean I can call you mom?" he asked cheekily.

“Of course,” Joyce said with a smile and opened her arms.

Xander strode over and pulled her into a hug.

"Oh, somebody please kill me," Snape groaned in disgust.

"Oh, oh! Me! Me!" Dora said, jumping excitedly like a hyper child after too much candy.

"Control yourself, Miss Tonks. Even in the line of duty, you would not be permitted to do so,” the greasy man sneered.

“No, but I’d love to try. The battle would be half the fun,” she said snarkily. She, like 85% of the school, hated this man. If she hadn’t had her mother to get her a tutor during the summer, she might not have made it into the Auror Academy. She had even invited all her friends to her lessons. Because of those summer teachings, the Academy had a good class her year. She felt really bad for those that didn’t have a parent who could afford it, or a parent who could teach potions. This man alone was the reason why many professions were lacking in apprentices and employees.

"Well, it all seems in order," Kingsley said, tapping the parchments, which produced copies and filed to their appropriate offices. He turned and handed the original papers back to Joyce, who disengaged from Xander and accepted them with a smile before placing them back behind the portrait.

"Search away, my good man,” Xander said to Kingsley, smirking at the ever-paling Snape.

“I need formal permission,” Kingsley stated.

“You have permission from me, Alexander Lavelle Harris, to search the office, classroom, and living quarters of Severus Tobias Snape,” Xander stated, standing straight up. “And I thought my middle name was bad,” he grumbled under his breath. “Of course, with a name like Severus…” he mumbled, letting the unheard comments drift off. Poor guy must have been teased terribly as a child. Not that he felt sorry for the man, but still.

"Excellent. Tonks and I will transfer him to a holding cell at the Ministry and return immediately to conduct the search." Kingsley said with a smile. "If we find what we think we will, then Mr. Snape will undergo questioning by Veritaserum." Snape somehow managed to pale even further. He even took on a hint of green. With that, they frog-marched the Potions Master away.

"It’s going to be a long night,” McGonagall stated, slumping in her chair.

“I’ll handle it,” Xander stated. “It’s kinda my responsibility, seeing as it’s my castle now.”

“As Provisional Headmistress, I should be there as well,” she sighed. Not that being provisional was much different than being Deputy Headmistress, since Albus handed most of his workload to her anyway. His many offices made his time very short, so she was responsible for most of the paperwork and day-to-day running of the school. The difference was that she could now sign off on a lot of things she couldn’t before. With the owner here, it would be much easier, and far more permanent. Those plans they had made might just come to pass after all.

“Well, I’m going to make sure the kids are in bed and that no one else is blinded,” Joyce said, popping away. She found both of her charges in bed and a very tired Percy Weasley slumped in a chair. She praised him for taking initiative and sent him on his way.

It was a long night and they found many things that would put Severus Snape in Azkaban for a long time. They hit the jackpot with his journal, which documented a great many crimes. He had abused the students in his care, plain and simple. Mostly it was verbal abuse, but with his harsh detentions, it traversed to physically as well. The only line he didn’t cross was sexual deviancy. Why he would keep such a thing on hand, no one knew. Perhaps he felt that Albus Dumbledore would keep him from prison no matter what may be found. The journal did give them reason to question him under Veritaserum, and his many crimes as a Death Eater came to light. He was not the good guy Dumbledore would have had you believe he was.

No, things were not looking good for Severus Snape. Kingsley promised to keep them informed and was quite pleased to say that this would be a career maker for both him and Dora. To Dora, it was better than the seizing of Borgin and Burkes, though she wasn’t going to sneeze at that opportunity. She was already making great headway in that and it had only been a day. The dark objects they were recording, and destroying, were many items that had vanished during raids. Those and the books they found were putting many purebloods in the scope of the Auror department. They were going to be keeping a very close eye on those bastards.

Both Minerva and Xander were exhausted the next morning. Xander was introduced to the lovely potion called Pepper-Up. When the smoke came from his ears, the poor man freaked out a bit.

“What the hell was that?” Xander shouted, batting at the smoke spewing from his head.

“It’s normal, Mr. Harris,” Poppy stated, patting him on the head like a child.

“There is nothing normal about smoke coming from any orifice of my body. That way lies trouble,” he disagreed. He really didn’t want to be turned into a demon.

“No, Poppy’s right, Xander. It’s the potion releasing extra adrenalin from your body,” Joyce said, snickering at his plight.

“I better not sprout horns, or anything,” he stated, pointing his finger at the three women and two kids giggling at him.

“Can I try?” Harry asked, not really needing one, but wanting to see what his new bodyguard would say.

“No,” came the resounding rejoinder from all four adults.

“Aw,” he pouted, then smiled to show he was kidding. “So, is Snape really gone?” he asked to change the subject and get Xander’s mind off the smoke.

“Yeah,” the one-eyed man said, ruffling his hair. “Hopefully, he’ll be put in that prison, Arzkabin,” he stated, looking at the older women.

“Azkaban,” Hermione immediately corrected.

“Wherever he goes, he’s not welcome back here,” Joyce stated firmly, folding her arms across her chest.

“Hear, hear,” Xander stated cheerfully. “Why don’t you kids go get ready? I’m taking us to London to get kitted out, as Spike would say.” He waved them to the bedrooms. The kids scurried off and the staff left. While he waited, he flipped on the TV to the news to try and get used to being back in 1991. He snickered to himself as he realized that technically, he was about the same age as Harry and Hermione. He grabbed a stick from near the fireplace and began whittling a stake just to have something to do.

A few minutes later Hermione came bounding down the stairs where she saw Xander and stopped.

"What are you doing!?" she screamed.

Causing the poor, sleep-deprived, yet very awake man to jump and wield the half-carved stake. “It’s just a stick, honest,” he said, taking deep breaths to calm down.

Hermione just stared at him in confusion. "No, the TV! You can't use electronics around magic," she explained.

Xander looked between Hermione and the TV, currently showing the BBC morning news. "You sure about that? 'Cause it looks to me like you can."

Hermione opened her mouth to retort, but found she had nothing to retort with.

Xander thought Hermione might have a nervous breakdown as her knowledge betrayed her, so he called in an expert. "Joyce?" The Lady of Hogwarts appeared. "Hermione says you can't use electricity around magic… the TV says otherwise. Care to explain?"

"Ah, yes. That used to be true when electricity was first discovered. But with all the improvements in insulation and conduction, they work just fine now. However, after the first failed attempt, the magicals didn’t try again. They feel that the non-magicals messed up and that they were as stupid as they first thought they were. That, and someone put a ward up to prevent them from working while I was asleep. I don’t know why they would if they thought electricy couldn’t work, but someone must have learned of the improvements. I’ve taken it down, but…" she trailed off.

"I’ll never understand that attitude. I mean, don’t they know that a press of a button could see the end of them?" Xander snorted.

Harry soon joined them, and they headed for breakfast while Hermione grilled Joyce about phones and other electrical devices. Xander listened with half an ear and made a few tentative plans to get some of those items in Hogwarts. He did own the building, and if he wanted to update, it was his prerogative. He’d have to sit down with Joyce to see if they could. Even if it was only phones so the kids could call their parents, that would go a long way in keeping them from acting out. He’d have to talk to the goblins about installing some in Gringotts as well. Business would be more conducive that way.

Xander joined Minerva at the staff table with Joyce, leaving the two kids to spend the morning with their friends.

The three adults fielded questions from the staff regarding last night’s events. Dora joined them after breakfast, and a little before 10 am they headed out. It being a Sunday, the shops closed earlier. Xander headed off the females that would have seen them hours in Harrods. He felt that Harry didn’t need to shop upscale. The boy only needed casual clothing. They did stop at movie stores to pick up a wide variety of movies. Xander, being a kid of the 80’s, felt that much could be learned by the media. So, he made sure to grab novels and comics as well. If he had his say, Harry was going to get a well-rounded media education.

It was an exhausted group that arrived back at the castle that evening. Xander was worried that Harry had been traumatized by the whole shopping deal, but he was still asking Dora and Hermione questions. He realized during dinner that he hadn't spoken with the goblins yet about replacement teachers. He and Minerva left Dora with the kids as they Floo called a goblin advisor to discuss what or who was available. Flooing made him concentrate more on the fact that phones would be so much easier, and his tentative plans became a bit firmer. There was no way he was ever going to be comfortable sticking his head in fire.

It was eventually decided that goblin teachers would be provided for Potions and History of Magic. The goblins would commute, since they really didn’t want to live with smelly humans, and everything was set up for next week. They even snuck in some weekend teachers for the three R’s. Reading and Writing would be handled by Joyce, but who better than an accountant to teach the kids math? There would even be a course on how to handle your finances, but it would only be a few days a month, taught by a goblin. They didn’t want the children to burn out with too many changes at once. They would be electives right now, and Xander was paying for them out of pocket. That way the Board couldn’t say anything.

The following week passed without much incident, though a lot of purebloods, mostly Slytherin, found themselves in detention for commenting derisively on the new teachers and classes. Not much was said about Snape being gone, though there were those like Malfoy who grumbled about not getting away with things they had in the past. Many students signed up for the new electives. Hermione, and quite a few Ravenclaws, were ecstatic that they didn’t have to give up the basics.

The professors were happy with the new arrangement because the new classes would help improve things like essay writing and Arithmancy. Though, with a word from Xander and Minerva, many of the old teachers were happy to cut down on written homework and assign practical work. They set aside an hour each day for the students to come and show they could to the spells taught in class. Those that couldn’t were assigned written homework until they could. Foundation was important. Everyone seemed happy with this arrangement.

Saturday was the first Quidditch match and Harry was very nervous. Hermione encouraged him to eat that morning, but his nerves were getting the better of him. Xander could see the worry on both his charges faces, so he decided to have a word with them.

“What’s up, Harry? Nervous?” Xander asked as he took a seat next to the very anxious boy.

Harry just nodded his head in agreement, not trusting himself not to spew anything that was in his stomach, which wasn’t much.

“Now, I don’t know much about this game, but you’re the Seeker, right?”

The poor boy nodded.

“So, it’s your job to fly around and catch the… snitch? And doesn’t that sound wrong,” Xander chuckled. “Reminds me of a guy named Willie.”

“It’s a small winged golden ball,” Hermione said helpfully.

“Okay,” the one-eyed man drawled. “Still, you get to fly above everyone else, while the other players actually score until you find this ‘small winged golden ball’, right?”

Another nod.

“Sounds to me like everyone is going to be watching the other players. By the time it’s your turn to win the game, most of the job will be done,” Xander said, clapping the shaking child on the back. “Try and eat some toast. Don’t want you to fall off your broom from being lightheaded.”

“Xander,” Hermione chastised.

“Just kidding. You’ll be fine. I’m sure there are lots of precautions for such an event,” the one-eyed man chuckled as the ruffled Harry’s hair again and left the table.

Harry picked up a piece of dry toast and started nibbling on it, not sure if he was relieved or even more anxious. He was thankful that Xander would be there to prevent any mishaps.

Soon enough, it was time, and the teams left, and the students and staff made their way as well. Joyce decided to stay in the castle, as she never liked quidditch. So Xander walked with Minerva down to the stands as older woman told of some of her antics as a Chaser during her schoolgirl days. They were seated by a young boy with dreadlocks named Lee Jordan. According to Minerva, if she didn't sit right behind him, he tended to become slightly unruly with the commentary. As the players took their places, Xander became very uneasy as he saw how high Harry was going. He squashed it quickly, hoping what he had said earlier was true and that there were precautions to prevent injury. There should be; it was a school after all. He soon got caught up in the game, even to the point of occasionally forgetting Harry was up there.

After thirty minutes and no sign of the snitch, a scream was heard from the Gryffindor corner. "Harry!"

Xander recognized Hermione's voice immediately. He followed her gaze to see Harry barely hanging on to his bucking broom.

“Potter has lost control of his broom!” Lee Jordan yelled through the mic, and all eyes focused on the struggling boy.

“Xander!” yelled Harry, who was gripping his broom like a life line, which it was. Even if it was trying to kill him.

“Shit,” Xander said, standing up and blocking quite a few teachers’ views. “Hang on, Harry! I’ll get you down!” he bellowed up to his charge. Harry’s broom stopped bucking and the boy quickly climbed back on, but that was not good enough for Xander. “You guys do have safety measures, right?” he asked Minerva, without looking away from Harry.

“No,” she answered with pursed lips.

“What!? Why the ever-loving hell not?” the one-eye man asked, almost looking away. “These are just kids, you know.”

“It was never deemed necessary,” she replied, bitterly. “It is tradition, something about toughening them up.” She, for one, had never liked that policy, but was denied every time she tried to change it.

“Well, I’m going to change that right now. Tradition be damned,” he said and shot a spell at the ground, which didn’t seem to change much. “I’m going to get Harry, and we’ll be discussing why school quidditch isn’t professional.” He then shot out of his seat like a superhero.

“Adult on the field,” Lee called. “Does that make him a streaker?” was the confused question, which resounded throughout the stadium, causing the tense air to lessen a bit, as a few girls giggled. 

Xander made it to Harry, who was hugging the front of his broom. The broom had started bucking again, only to stop when Xander reached him.

“Xander, what are you doing? And how are you doing it?” the scared boy asked. He was also a bit disappointed; it was his first game, and then this happened. How was he supposed to win for his team if he couldn’t fly?

“Ummm, flying?” Xander said as he grabbed the now-still broom.

“Without a broom? I was told that was impossible,” Harry said, easing to an upright position.

“I’m not totally sure, but it’s just like I told Neville, if you want it, you can do it. I wanted to fly, so I am. I just made it so gravity around me doesn’t exist,” he tried to explain. “You should try it,” he suggested. He really wanted to see if Harry could do it. It would be one more thing that could save his life.

So, Harry closed his eyes and willed gravity away. He did feel lighter, but for some reason Xander kept ahold of him.

“Easy up, Harry,” came Xander’s chuckled suggestion.

“Why?”

“Because you’re putting too much power into it and everyone is floating off their seats.”

“Oops,” Harry said sheepishly and lowered his intent. He pictured a bubble around him, so that only the air in that bubble would be gravity free. He was still flying and now Xander let his arm go.

“Dude, you’re like a nuclear reactor to everyone’s lightbulb,” Xander chuckled again. "Okay, Harry. We better head down now. I think the game has been called off on account of a rogue—" He was interrupted as Harry's hand snatched past Xander's ear and came back with the snitch. "—broom. Or that works." He shrugged.

"Potter caught the snitch, does that count?" came the confused announcement.

“I made it so the ground was like a spongy trampoline. That way if anyone falls they’ll be okay. Wanna try?” Xander said with an evil grin.

“Sure,” Harry smirked back. And the two of them freefell to the ground, causing the whole stadium to scream. When they bounced and shot back up, some cheered and others yelled.

“XANDER!” came the angry voices of two different females.

"Oi! Xander!" George Weasley called out from his position floating next to his brother. "Can we do that?”

"Have at it, guys," Xander shrugged as he paused in mid-air.

The twins looked at each other grinning before they literally leapt off their brooms, eliciting more screams from the stands.

Having seen Xander, Harry, and the twins successfully and safely fall to the ground, the majority of Hogwarts population started leaping from their seats, and a good few teachers did as well. Hagrid caused a great many of them to fly in the air when he took his turn, giving a mighty roar as he did so. Teens and teachers had a great time bouncing around the field as Harry and Xander joined a very irate looking McGonagall. He shrugged and said, “It worked. It’s better than his broken body splattered on the ground.”

Harry grabbed Hermione and made her join in the mayhem, leaving Xander to his fate.

"You do realize that every student in the school will be wanting to know how to fly? I dread to think how many accidents are just waiting to happen!" Minerva ranted, worried for the students.

“Meh, don’t worry. Harry doesn’t know enough to teach them. Well, maybe Hermione, but we’ll get them to promise not to teach anyone else. As a matter of fact, we’ll make them take vows of silence to put off anyone who asks. Do you want to learn?” he asked the prim teacher.

“I believe I am too old to be taught such new magic,” she answered a bit despondently.

“Nah, it’s easy, actually. Probably easier for you since you really don’t know much science,” he disagreed. He grabbed her and flew off towards the castle, talking her into making herself weightless. It took the better part of the day, but by the end she got it. They sat the children down before bed and talked to them about how important it was not to teach anyone. Harry and Hermione agreed that it would be a secret until such a time that Xander gave them the go-ahead.

Tonks came the next evening to help Harry with his Metamorphmagus ability. Xander was delighted to see him pick it up so quickly. Harry spent all of Sunday as someone else, which was a blessing and a curse. He listened in on what the school was saying, and many were upset that the way of flying was denied to them. Quite a few were blaming him. The students complained that he was getting special privilege, which he was, but for a very good reason that they didn’t know. They didn’t have a semi-dead Dark Lord after them. His soon-to-be-ex-friend Ron was the biggest whiner, but the twins and Neville were his biggest defenders. This made him sad and happy at the same time.

When he told Xander, he said, “It’s better you know your real friends now, then get stabbed in the back later,” which Harry took as truth. He vowed to continue to spy, and make sure he knew who his enemies were.


	7. A Day In Court

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DaughterOfIris23 and Dashti-the-dramione-shipper are the betas for this chapter.

The following Monday brought bad news: Snape got off. Once more, Albus Dumbledore had spoken for the man and he was released from all charges.

“And Dumbledore can do this...why?” a very confused Xander asked.

“He’s the Chief Warlock. He can do just about anything he wants,” Dora answered as she slumped in her chair. Her hair was cycling through various dark, depressed colors.

“What’s that when it’s at home?” the one-eyed man asked, looking to Minerva.

“He is the head of the court system,” she answered primly. She always hated it when Albus threw his weight around. He had never listened to her pleas to get the Potions Master out of the castle and it looked like he was going to win again. She braced herself for another difficult year.

“Wait, your head judge can just wipe a slate clean? Just like that? No trial of his peers?” Xander asked, flabbergasted. He stared at the magicals in the room. “Doesn’t Dumbledore have someone he has to answer to?”

“He is supposed to answer to the Minister, but that idiot is scared that Dumbledore is after his job,” Dora replied, her face almost in a pout. This was supposed to be her big break, but now it looked like a mar on her record.

“Well, he’s not getting back in here. Snape, I mean. I won’t let him. I have the right and duty to protect the children residing in my home. He violated them, and he won’t be getting a second chance,” Joyce said firmly. “Xander, if he shows up again, you can show him the door,” she said with a wicked grin. “Use any means necessary.”

“It’ll be my pleasure,” he agreed with a matching smirk.

“Please, don’t do anything I’d have to arrest you for,” Dora pleaded. She liked Xander, but she couldn’t turn the other way just because she wanted to.

“Don’t worry, Dora, as long as Xander confines his activities to the castle and Hogsmeade, he’s safe. We have autonomy, appointed by King Arthur himself. He wanted us to self-govern ourselves. He said, ‘Schools should not be run by governments.’ It was one of his free-thinking ideas. He truly hated oppression. Godric owned the land and we built the castle. While it is not a country, per se, it is its own municipal and the Lord of the castle is supposed to be in charge. We try to follow the laws of the country, and that means Great Britain, not the Wizarding World, but we police our own. There is a dungeon in the lower part of the castle, and I am a noted judge. Although, what I do know of the laws of the land is very out of date. I’m not sure how the Ministry got it hands in my pie, but Xander is going to do everything he can to get them back out again,” Joyce lectured smugly. “I’m not even going to mention what was done to Sally’s home,” she added ominously. She had been devastated to learn what they had turned her son’s home into. She gave a full-bodied shudder, glad the man was dead and didn’t know.

“What? How am I supposed to do that? I don’t even know half of what this castle teaches,” Xander groaned. Every time he turned around, she was heaping more on to his plate. He’d only been here a short while, and already he was guardian to Harry, Head of Security, King of the Goblins, and now Keeper of the Castle. He didn’t know how much more he could take.

“Don’t worry, Xander, I’ll help, and so will Minerva,” the embodiment of Hogwarts reassured, giving the overwhelmed man a one-armed hug.

“Me too,” Dora chimed in. “I’m not sure how, but I’ll do anything I can to help.”

“Mr. Harris, you are not alone in this,” McGonagall stated. She, too, wanted the Ministry out of Hogwarts.

“See, Xander, you’ll have all the help you need,” came the teasing reply from Joyce. “He always was a favorite of female teachers,” she told the other women.

Xander gave a cheeky grin. "Yep, that's me! ‘Teacher's Pet’!" he exclaimed. He remembered a great many of Sunnydale’s teachers fondly.

"I thought you were ‘Teachers Post-Coital Snack’?" Joyce smirked, throwing M. French in his face.

"Traitor!" Xander cried theatrically.

“Now that is a story I want to hear,” said Dora, sitting forward in her chair.

“Perhaps another time,” Minerva deflected.

“Fine,” she pouted. “I’m going to go and see what I can find out; any information could help. Bye, everyone,” she stated as she headed to the Floo.

Good-byes were given, and McGonagall turned the topic back to the Headmaster. “We need to discuss Albus. You said Severus would not be returning, but what of Albus?” she asked, wondering if her temporary position was permanent. Not that she minded, but she thought she would have more time to prepare. Things would have to be shuffled around to make it work.

“I don’t know. I don’t like the man,” Xander said, folding his arms over his chest. “He reminds me too much of Travers. He treats Harry like he’s Buffy, or something. I don’t want to tell the horror stories about that man and his ‘tests’.” Xander really didn’t like the old man. He strongly reminded him of the old Watchers Council. Those stodgy old men grated on his nerves something fierce.

“I have a beef against that man too, but, Xander, Dumbledore doesn’t have the money the Watcher’s Council did,” Joyce said, trying to calm him.

“No, but he does have the pull if he can get Snape off without a trial.”

“Correct, which is exactly why we should not dismiss him. Until you get Hogwarts back as a sovereign state, we need to keep the status quo,” Minerva argued.

“Just how much pull does the Ministry have here?” Joyce asked. It was something she never got the answer to.

“You have to understand; the purebloods of this society hold a _lot_ of power. They control just about everything. If you were to dismiss Albus, they would try to control the school as well,” McGonagall explained.

“And this would be a bad idea...why?” Xander asked.

“Because they have no problem… removing muggleborn children so that their heirs do not have to go to school with ‘mudbloods’,” Minerva stated coldly. She needed them to know the state of what they were dealing with. “They could not do it publicly, but if they had control of the school they could get ahold of where the muggleborns live and pay them a _visit_. Very few in the Ministry would care.”

“Okay, I get that. All right, we let Dumbledore back. But, he needs to follow some rules,” Xander said mulishly. He vowed to himself that if anyone started killing children, they were going to meet his axe, up close and personal.

"Fine, we’ll place Albus on probation. You’re right, it’s too big of a political headache to keep him out. That, and the public adores him. They might just pull their children if he’s not here," Joyce admitted, hating the truth of it. “We’ll keep an eye on him, and if he messes up, we’ll get proof. Then I’ll boot him out.”

“And I’ll take great pleasure in helping,” Xander stated.

“Who will take his place? I need to know in case things need to be moved around,” McGonagall stated, worried that it might be a quick upheaval like this last week had been.

"There are only three candidates, Minerva. Yourself, Xander and me," Joyce assured her.

"Oh, God! I think Snyder just rolled over in his grave," Xander shuddered, and then smirked, just imaging the vile man screaming from his place in hell.

“Well, I think I’d better set things up in case that happens,” the Transfiguration teacher stated primly. “Mr. Harris, I will give you some reading so you do know what the rules are, and what classes are taught.”

“Great, homework,” the poor man moaned. With that, the three called it a night.

The time until Yule break passed in a flurry of lessons and spying. Harry had taken to spending more time as an unidentified student. He couldn’t change his height much, only by a few inches. So, he continued to pass off as a first-year or a short second or third-year. He snagged robes from all Houses, so he wouldn’t be discovered. He learned that most students really didn’t talk about him, once the gossip finally turned away from Xander and his new magic. The whole school had figured it was just a fluke, some sort of accidental magic. Mostly they talked about girls, relationships, school work, and other teenage things. He felt a lot better, but knew that if something were to happen, it would turn back to him in an instant. It was a life lesson he would keep with him.

Hermione had received permission for Xander and Harry to celebrate Christmas with her family. They would be staying in the guest room at her house, so Xander went to meet her parents and set a few things up. He had the goblins come and put some wards on the house and made sure that they were impenetrable. He informed the Grangers about Harry’s former homelife, and that he might be a bit skittish. They understood, and said they would help as much as they could. There were a few things that Xander needed to do in the non-magical world that might help Harry in the long run, so he spent most of the school hours walking to Hogsmeade and catching the Knight Bus back and forth, using Hermione’s house as a base.

The lessons between the two kids went well. Both now knew how to fly, and they could do all first-year work wandlessly. Xander taught Harry magical self-control, since he still tended to blind people with his Lumos. It took a lot of meditation, something neither was good at, but they both could now control their output. Xander, on the other hand, was learning what magic was and what it could do. His imagination went wild, and he came up with the most ridiculous things, like eating without his hands. McGonagall actually smacked him on the head for that one, and told him that he would get lazy and unfit if he continued. Xander smirked and showed her his workout room.

It was an unused classroom that he had the house elves clean out. He had brought back a lot of exercise equipment and worked out every day. He hadn’t brought the kids here yet, because they were too busy learning the new magic and control. He planned on starting after the break or next year, hoping that if Harry felt strong bodily, that maybe it would help the kid mentally.

On the 20th of December, many of the students made their way to the train station in Hogsmeade. Harry and Hermione had spent time with Neville and were discussing having him join them in the extracurricular lessons. He was very excited, and said he would have to ask his gran about it, but he was sure that if she knew that it would make him strong like his dad, she wouldn’t mind.

Xander became very excited as they reached the brick wall that acted as a barrier between the magical and non-magical worlds. “This is great,” he said, “I’m going to learn how to do this with my body. That way, no wall would ever be an obstacle again. Never again would I be left out because I couldn’t get into a damn room.”

“But, Xander, what if a bad guy learns it? They’d be able to get into any house,” Harry said worriedly.

“First of all, we won’t teach it to them; remember the vow. Second, I’ll just have to think up some kind of forcefield that will keep me, and them, out. I promise, I will make it safe before I ever teach it to anyone,” he told the concerned kids.

After saying goodbye to Neville, they caught the Knight Bus, much to Hermione’s dismay, and journeyed to the Grangers. A thin man, about Xander's height with glasses like Harry's, and a woman, about a foot shorter with thick, curly brown hair, met them as they disembarked. Heartfelt greetings were given, and the small family had a quick discussion on how everyone was faring. Then they turned to their guests.

“Xander, great to see you again. It’s been what, three days? I’m not sure how we made it without the Great Xandman,” Dan Granger teased the one-eyed man. Xander had been helping around the house, as his carpenter skills were unparalleled. They had saved loads of money on repairs and had more to spend on their little girl.

“That’s me, the Great Xandman, Carpenter Extraordinaire,” Xander said, puffing up mockingly.

“Knock it off, you two,” Emma Granger said, smacking both the men in the chest. “This must be Harry. It’s so nice to meet you, young man. Xander and Hermione never stop talking about you,” she said, offering her hand.

Harry reached over warily and gently shook the woman’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, too, Dr. Granger. Hermione has said nice things about you, as well.”

“Well, come on. Let’s get you boys settled,” Dan said, slapping Xander on the back and grabbing a trunk, which almost made him stumble.

“Ummm, yeah… you might want to pretend it’s heavy,” Xander said with a bit of a chuckle.

“Thanks,” the elder man stated as he grabbed the trunk again and made it look like it was an effort.

“Hermione, would you show Harry where he’s sleeping? It’s the guest room at the end of the hall. He and Xander are bunking together,” Emma said, gently pushing the children in the direction of the house. They had two guest rooms, but Xander didn’t want Harry to be alone in a house he didn’t know.

“Okay, Mum,” Hermione nodded as she grabbed the Harry’s hand and pulled him away.

The two men lugged the luggage into the house, left them at the foot of the stairs, and joined Mrs. Granger in the kitchen.

"The confirmation came through today. We need to be there first thing tomorrow," Emma said somewhat cryptically, thwarting little eavesdroppers as they sat at the kitchen counter.

"Sweet. My… people have also confirmed everything," Xander added. "Hopefully, Harry will like his first real Christmas present," he said with a hint of worry. It had taken a great deal of wheedling, dealing, and whining to get everything set up as quickly as they did. However, the goblins played a major role in it. They greased a few hands, threatened a few people, and called in a few favors to get the ball rolling.

“I can’t believe the changes in Hermione,” Emma said, changing the subject. “She’s not near as bossy as she was when she left. Does it show in her schoolwork?”

“She’s fine, and her work is just as perfect as before. I had a bit of a talk with her. It was a major blow to her ego when she found out that books could actually be wrong. Her favorite book was Hogwarts: A History, but then she met Joyce and her whole outlook changed,” Xander chuckled, remembering when Hermione tried to throw the book in the fire.

“Still, it’s a bit of a change,” Dan stated, worried that it might be too much for his little girl.

"I’ve been teaching them a special magic, which I’m sure she’d be happy to show you,” Xander said, hoping to get the looks of bewilderment off their faces.

“That won’t happen,” the father said bitterly. “Children aren’t supposed to do magic outside of school.” He hated that fact, and was pretty sure that it was only muggleborns that had that restriction.

“I’m sorry, did you just say you can’t see what your little girl is learning?”

“Nope,” Emma said, just as bitterly as her husband.

“Well, that does it. I’m going to open the school during summer holidays for a parent/teacher day, so everyone can see what goes on at Hogwarts. There’s no excuse for this,” the displaced man huffed, folding his arms defiantly.

“Muggle aren’t allowed at Hogwarts,” came the cold reply from the father. It was a bone of contention with him. He had always paid close attention to Hermione’s education, so when he was told that he couldn’t anymore, because he was non-magical, he almost forbade her from going. Eventually, his wife and daughter had talked him around.

“They will be. I own the school,” Xander stated as fact.

"They can't. It's in Hog-" Hermione said, joining the conversation as she and Harry came down the stairs.

"And you know how accurate that book is," Xander interrupted, giving her a knowing look.

“However,” she debated, “there are muggle repelling wards. Joyce told me.”

“I’m sure she can change that. Why are you arguing with me? Don’t you want your parents to see what you’ve learned?” he asked, giving her a pointed look. Sometimes, this girl just argued for the sake of arguing. He was going to break her of that, if only so that she didn’t do it to Harry.

“Of course, I do,” she said aghast. “What kind of question is that?”

“Then stop picking fights,” he countered.

“All right, enough,” Emma interfered. “We’re ordering out to eat tonight. We have an early morning and you two need to get to bed soon. So, what do you want to eat?” she asked the kids. A short debate on dinner ensued, in which Harry didn’t really participate, since he had never had takeout. Soon enough, Chinese was ordered, eaten, and set to digest. The kids were sent to bed, while the adults discussed the next day.

The next morning, everyone got up, got dressed in their best clothes and made their way to the Inner London Crown Court. Xander had asked about congestion charges, but was informed that they had never heard of such a thing. He told them he’d tell them about it later.

As they were standing in front of the courthouse, Harry asked, “Why are we here?”

“We’re going to punish the Dursleys. It’s their day in court,” Xander answered, kneeling down and looking him dead in the eye.

“Can’t I just be shot of them?”

“No, Harry, they need to be punished for what they did. What if they turn their anger on your cousin. Do you really want that to happen?” the one-eyed man asked. He never got to have his parents arrested for their abuse, and he regretted that to this very day.

“They would never do that,” protested the young man. “They’d let Dudley get away with murder.”

“That’s just a different form of abuse. Don’t you see? They are setting him up to fail in life. He will believe that he can do anything to anyone and get away with it. Someday, someone is going to hurt him badly, and even then, he might not learn,” Emma said, also kneeling to Harry’s level. “You can prevent that just by answering a few questions.”

“I’m not sure that will work. He’d just go to his Aunt Marge, and she’s worse,” Harry argued with a body shudder. He hated that woman more than Uncle Vernon. Her vile words about his family and her vicious dog were five times worse than being hit.

“I’ll try to make sure the judge knows that, okay?” Xander said, patting him on the shoulder. He knew that Harry was a good person and would do the right thing.

Not wanting to prolong the waiting and Harry's suffering, Xander put an arm around his shoulder and shepherded him inside the tall building. The courtroom was simple: a judge’s bench, a witness chair, the stenographer’s table, two lawyer’s tables, and the galley.

They made it to the courtroom and sat in the front. The Dursleys, minus Dudley, tried to cower Harry, but Xander soon put them in their place with a well-formed scowl.

They sat and talked for a few minutes, when the door in the back opened and McGonagall and Tonks came through.

"Wotcher, Harry!" Tonks greeted happily.

“Hey, what are you guys doing here?” the small boy asked as they sat behind his group.

“Are you kidding? We’re here for you,” the pink-haired girl answered.

“It will be most educational to see how non-magicals handle such a case,” Minerva stated, looking fondly at the child. She always knew the Dursleys were hateful people, and she wanted to see them brought to justice.

They had barely sat down when the doors opened again and a middle-aged man with graying hair marched in with a younger man. The younger man took a seat in front of his little typewriter, and the man sat down behind the desk on a raised platform where a nameplate declared him to be Judge Matthew Finch.

"Good morning, all. I am Judge Finch. This is a custody hearing for one Harry James Potter. Is the young man in question here?" he asked kindly.

After a nudge from Xander and Hermione, Harry stood up.

"Here, sir," he said quietly.

"Ah… excellent. Now then, this is going to be rather informal. It’s just to make sure that everyone has your best interests at heart. If necessary, we will hand certain proceedings along to criminal courts. However, whatever testimony you give here will be used there. So, don’t worry."

Xander was pleased with the way the judge handled Harry. He obviously knew his way around children.

"Now then. Mr. Rothsby, would you care to proceed?" he asked the man representing Harry.

"Of course, your Honor. It is my belief that the Dursleys willfully and maliciously abused and neglected one Harry James Potter. Evidence shows that he was kept in a cupboard ten years of his young life, and only when they thought they were being watched did this change," Mr. Rothsby stated, shuffling photos on his desk. He held one that said ‘Harry’s Room’ up for the Judge to see. “As you can see, we have a physician’s report of all the damage done to the child over the years. He will never grow to his true height, and his eyes are damaged from be enclosed in a dark room for many hours. There are signs of broken bones and wear and tear on his organs. We are hopeful that the child will heal with time, but these atrocities need to be addressed.”

“Has the child been removed from the premises?” Judge Finch asked, concerned, looking through the photos and papers in front of him. They painted a very bad picture of young Harry’s childhood, and he wanted to make sure he was out of that damaging environment. 

“Yes, Your Honor. He is currently attending a special boarding school in Scotland. Mr. Alexander Harris is his temporary guardian. We have the papers to show this,” the lawyer stated, again holding up the evidence.

"And you want sole custody granted to Mr. Harris?" the judge enquired.

"Yes, sir. Mr. Harris is the owner of the school and is also the Head of Security. It was he who brought this case to the attention of the courts with Dr. and Dr. Granger."

"He is unmarried?" Judge Finch asked.

"Yes, your Honor."

“Isn’t there another child in the house?” the judge asked, concerned that one might slip through the cracks.

“Yes, your Honor, but Dudley Dursley shows no sign of abuse,” Mr. Rothsby answered, looking at the parents of the child in question. “Statements from the neighborhood show that young Mr. Dursley is a spoiled bully who has never been disciplined in his life.”

“Nevertheless, we’ll send Social Services to the house to interview the child,” Judge Finch stated, making a note.

Petunia stood up and declared angrily, “I would never abuse my son.”

“But you would abuse your nephew?” the judge questioned.

“Sit down, Mrs. Dursley,” her lawyer ordered, grabbing her arm and forcing her down. “I apologize, Your Honor,” he mumbled.

“Forgiven. It’s your turn. What is your initial response to these allegations?”

The lawyer for the Dursleys stood up, shuffled a few papers, and explained, “My clients believe they did what was best for the unruly child they were given. They maintain that they gave the child clothes, food, and shelter. As he was an undisciplined boy, they felt the need to make sure that he would not inflict harm on their family.”

“Do they have proof of these acts of rebellion?” the judge asked, lifting his eyebrow. He saw the reports and noted the child in the galley. The poor boy looked like a firm wind could knock him over. “I see in front of me pictures of a small room with no windows and locks on the door, which, by the way, is against fire safety laws. There had better be something that will back your clients claims.” Not that it mattered; the evidence was overwhelming. However, one must do the judicial dance to see justice.

There was a very subtle change in Mr. Charles's expression, but everyone caught it. "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley claim they have managed to negate the need for reports via judicious repudiation and recompense," he said quietly.

There was a stunned silence.

Eventually Mr. Rothsby cleared his throat and began, slowly, "I've run that phrase through my mind several times, and, like Mr. Charles, I am an Oxford graduate… but I find that translating to 'we bribed and threatened people'."

Mr. Charles remained impassive, seemingly desperate not to let his emotions and thoughts slip through.

"Yes, well… I'm an Eton man myself, and I can assure you that I am, as such, well versed in the ways of deciphering that type of snake-oil sales pitch. And you are absolutely right, Mr. Rothsby," Judge Finch said with a scowl as the Dursley's turned white. "It doesn't matter how you dress it up, you have just stated that the Dursley's have committed criminal acts to cover up alleged criminal acts."

"My clients deny that, Your Honor," Mr. Charles said stiffly. "I have a character witness who would like to speak on their behalf."

Finch sighed, "Very well, have them take the stand."

"He does not appear to have arrived," the lawyer said, beginning sweat just a little.

"You have a character witness who can't even turn up on time? This doesn't exactly speak well of the character of the character witness," Finch stated. He was beginning to think this whole fiasco was all a joke. As far as he was concerned, once Harry told him he wanted to go to Mr. Harris, that was it, and the case would then be turned over to the Crown Prosecution Service.

"He assured me he would be here on time, and that it was imperative for Mr. Potter's own safety that he—" Mr. Charles was interrupted as the doors at the back banged open, and a tall wizened figure in an immaculate suit strode in.

Albus Dumbledore had arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mjimeyg wrote a great courtroom scene like the last part of this chapter, but I don’t want to regurgitate that. I hope I did well in not doing that. Once again, I highly recommend you read the original, it’s a great read.


	8. A Day In Court II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter. Okay, so I went a completely different route than mjimeyg. She went for funny, I bordered on hard. Still, I hope you enjoy.  
> DaughterOfIris23 and Dashti-the-dramione-shipper are the betas for this chapter.

The man stepped into the courtroom as if he were on stage for a play. In this play, he would have been the overdramatic good guy, with flourishing poses, sparkling smiles, and twinkling eyes. Everyone expected that any moment he would spout off, ‘Worry not, for I am here to save the day,’ which, thank God, he didn’t.

"Oh, God. It's a member of the Amateur Dramatics Club," Xander groaned quietly, putting his face in his hands. Harry and Hermione giggled, while Dora and the Grangers flat out laughed. Minerva just thinned her lips and looked at her boss in disgust.

Judge Finch looked at the overbearing man and then to Mr. Charles. “I take it this is your witness?”

“Yes, Your Honor,” the poor man said, trying hard not to groan.

“Your _character_ witness?” came the disbelieving question.

“Yes, Your Honor,” was the equally disbelieving answer.

“Have him take a seat. We’ll call him in a moment,” the judge sighed, waving his hand at the galley.

Mr. Charles quickly gestured for Dumbledore to sit behind him. The old man looked put out that he was not recognized immediately. Didn’t these people know he was a very busy man?

“What were you about to say, before we were so rudely interrupted?” the judge asked, looking at Mr. Charles.

“It pertains to my witness, Your Honor. Professor Dumbledore has expressed to me that it is in Mr. Potter’s best interest that he continues residing at the Dursleys. He stated that it is a matter of life or death,” the sweating man replied, knowing that his statement would not go over well.

“Judging from the evidence before me, I find that very hard to believe. Do you have any other evidence that will support this claim?” Judge Finch asked. He didn’t seem sure there could be such a thing, but appeared willing to play along for now.

“Well, Your Honor, Professor Dumbledore states that he is willing to testify to this fact,” was the feeble response.

“Very well, call your witness.”

“Albus Dumbledore, please take the stand.”

With a flourish, the old man stood, took the witness seat, was sworn in, and smiled genteelly to what he perceived as an audience. This was going to be one of his finest performances, after all.

"Carry on, Mr. Charles," Judge Finch said tersely.

“Thank you, Your Honor.” The nervous lawyer turned to the man who could make or break his case. “Professor Dumbledore, you have led us to believe that you can give proof to the fact that Mr. Potter needs to remain at the Dursleys. Will you give your testimony now?”

“Of course. Eleven years ago, there was a mad man out to slay the Potter family. A terrorist, if you will. On Halloween of the year 1981, he murdered young Mr. Potter’s parents, Lily and James. By some miracle, young Harry survived, and the terrorist did not. However, there were those that followed the terrorist fanatically. They would look to complete the job their… leader failed. I needed a safe place to put young Harry, and Petunia Dursley is the last remainder of his blood family. There is little known generally about Lily Potter, she was unimportant to her killer. They would not know how to find him. It is imperative that he remains hidden there, so the followers this mad man do not kill him. It is the only place, outside of school, where he is safe,” Dumbledore stated as fact, prevaricating as best he could.

“You were the one to take Mr. Potter there for his safety?” Mr. Charles asked, hoping to deflect some of the blame off his clients.

“Yes. After the attack, I had one of my most trusted comrades go and retrieve the poor lad from his destroyed home. I then left Harry in the Dursley’s care, warning them of the necessity that he remain there. They are his only family, as I have stated before,” was the gentle answer.

“Mr. Dumbledore—” Judge Finch started, only halt when the witness cleared his throat importantly.

“Professor, if you please.”

“Do you have proof of identity?” the Judge asked, clearly upset that he was interrupted.

“Alas, I did not think to bring any with me,” Dumbledore stated, looking over his glasses at the judge condescendingly.

“Then you will remain Mr. Dumbledore throughout these proceedings. Now, Mr. Dumbledore, are you saying you kidnapped the child and took him without consulting the authorities?” Judge Finch asked, shuffling through the paperwork. He turned his attention to the old man, who was quickly getting on his last nerve.

“The local authorities were not equipped to handle such a case. This terrorist had been about for many years, and no one was able to stop him until young Harry did. The Potters were with a group that was designed to capture the man. They failed, and it cost them their lives,” the old man stated, looking patronizingly at the judge.

Xander and Minerva glared at the old man for saying such a thing, while Harry was almost in tears at the Headmaster’s disparaging words. His parents were heroes, and nothing this man could say would change that, but to downplay their courage in public made him want to cry. Dora put her arm around the despondent boy and Hermione held his hand. The Grangers were confused, as they really didn’t know the story behind Voldemort. The Dursleys looked smug.

“So, you took it upon yourself to do so? What authority did you possess? Are you a sworn judge?” the man behind the bench asked, flabbergasted that this man put himself above the law.

“James Potter put his faith in me. I was merely carrying out his last request that his son remain safe,” chastised Dumbledore, as if he were speaking to one of his students.

“That is not your call,” the judge stated firmly. “That is a serious offence, and you will remand yourself into custody for questioning when we are done.” He banged his gavel. “Now, Mr. Dumbledore, I have in front of me a slew of evidence that states that the last place Mr. Potter should be is with the Dursley family. As a matter of fact, unless I receive irrefutable proof otherwise, this case will be taken to the criminal court system. I ask you again, where is your evidence?” Finch said irately.

Dumbledore was fuming. Who did the upstart think he was to dictate to him? He, of course, was not going to do as ordered, and while that would make him _persona non grata_ in the muggle world, it really didn’t affect his life in the wizarding world. "I am afraid I cannot go into too much detail. I can only reinstate that there are elements out there who wish young Harry great harm."

Mr. Charles, knowing that Dumbledore hadn’t helped his case in the least bit, sighed and said, “I have no more questions for this witness.”

"Good choice," Xander muttered, causing the group to chuckle.

The Dursleys were silent. They knew it was over, and would not further harm their case.

Rothsby wasn't quite sure how he was winning, but he was. He had no idea how to proceed, though. "Your Honor, I-"

"No, Mr. Rothsby, I believe we have heard enough from this… witness. Mr. Dumbledore, the bailiff will take you into custody to answer for your crimes,” the judge stated, pointing at a burly, mean-looking man in the back, who seemed to take a dim look on kidnappers.

Not wanting to cause a scene if front of everyone and break the Statute of Secrecy, Dumbledore silently went with the man.

Xander and a few others knew it was all for show, and they’d be seeing the Headmaster soon enough. They watched him hold his head high as he left the courtroom, and all rolled their eyes.

"There are only two people I wish to hear from before I make my decision. Mr. Harris, could you take the stand please?" Judge Finch requested.

Xander was sworn in and sat waiting, patiently.

“I need to know that I will not be putting Mr. Potter in a worse situation, so I must ask: do you have proof of who you are and how you will be able to support him?” the judge questing, very tired of this case already.

Xander took out his paperwork from his inner pocket, handed it to the judge, and replied, “I am owner of the school and I have a lot of experience with children. Granted, mostly girls, but you see my point.” The goblins had created a background for him, even putting in citations for traffic violations. According to these papers, he was a former teacher at an all-girls school in LA. He grew up in the area, moving to Britain at the request of a friend’s mother to help her rescue Harry. All of that was based on the truth, so he wouldn’t get his story mixed up.

Judge Finch chuckled. "You poor, henpecked soul," he remarked. “Where do you plan on living? I am sure that the school is not year-round,” he asked, looking at the paperwork. The school was listed as a boarding school in Scotland with a mailing address as a P.O. box, but no phone number. It was named Hogwarts School for the Gifted.

“No, Your Honor. I am looking for a house right now, having recently relocated. We’ll be living near the Grangers, and they have promised to keep an eye on us, given that I am unmarried,” the one-eyed man stated.

"Good, that answers my next question," Judge Finch declared happily. "You may step down, Mr. Harris. Harry, I need you to come over here with the lawyers, so we can have a little talk. Don’t worry, we’ll be right back,” he said, indicating a door off to the side, which was a chamber set up for just such a purpose. The four went into the little room and all settled at the table. Harry was asked to promise to tell the truth, and the judge asked him, gently, “Were the Dursleys as bad as the evidence shows?”

“Yes, sir, I mean, Your Honor,” came the nervous response as Harry looked at the table.

“Do you want to stay with them?”

“NO! I mean, no, sir,” Harry exclaimed quickly, snapping his head up, clearly desperately hoping he wasn’t going to be sent back.

“Don’t worry. As far as this court is concerned, you will not have to, if that is your desire,” Judge Finch, comfortably patting the child on the hand. “Now, do you want to stay with Mr. Harris? I understand that he has been taking care of you for a while.”

“Xander is really nice to me, and if I can, I’d like to stay with him,” Harry replied shyly.

“There would have to be visits with a caseworker. Since you are at a boarding school, you will have to come to their office and talk to them,” warned the judge. “That way, if Mr. Harris does turn out to be bad, you can let them know.”

“Xander’s cool, he teaches me how to protect myself,” Harry defended his hero immediately.

“Okay, we’ll see how it goes for a year. If all goes well then, he can have permanent custody,” Judge Finch said with a chuckle.

“Thanks, Your Honor,” the messy-headed boy said enthusiastically.

They all went back into the courtroom and the judge banged his gavel for attention. Harry quickly rejoined his group and all eyes turned toward the front. “I am afraid I have no choice but to hand the Dursleys on for prosecution. Quite frankly, today's hearing was appalling. I have heard many tales of abuse of a child, and this was one of the worse I have seen, due to the length and breadth of the conspiracy surrounding and causing Mr. Potter's torment. I am ruling that Harry James Potter is to be held in the custody of Alexander Lavelle Harris. There will need to be a probationary period, and Mr. Rothsby will explain the details, but as I explained to Harry, he can never be legally forced to return to the Dursleys. This hearing is closed."

As the Dursleys filed out quickly with their solicitor, Judge Finch signaled quietly that he wanted the rest to stay. He quietly dismissed his scribe and Xander told Mr. Rothsby he would call later. As the scribe closed the door, Judge Finch sighed. "I assume the Hogwarts listed is Hogwarts of Witchcraft and Wizardry?" he asked tiredly.

Everyone but Xander seemed shocked at that question. How did the muggle know about Hogwarts?

"Justin's dad?" Xander asked. He had run across the boy in question a few times in his job as Head of Security. The kid just couldn’t help getting lost.

"Yes, how's he doing?"

"He’s doing okay. He’s made plenty of friends, but he still has a bit of a stick up his butt at times." Xander commented, earning a scowl from Minerva and a snicker from the others, including Judge Finch.

"Sounds about right. It's one of the reasons I didn't want to send him to Eton. He has older brothers there, you see,” Judge Finch chuckled. “Now, I know that Mr. Dumbledore is going to escape. I want it noted that there will be a record of this and he will have a warrant out for his arrest. I beg you to remove him as headmaster of the school. These papers say you are the owner, do you have that power?” the judge all but pleaded. He didn’t want a criminal in charge of the school his child attended.

"I’m sorry, nothing done here today will affect his standing in the wizarding world. In their eyes, he’s done nothing wrong. We can’t boot him out on that. However, he has done other things that call him into question, and he’s currently on a year’s probation. I’m going to be keeping a very close eye on him. If he screws up, I'll be kicking him out so fast his over-long beard will be left behind," Xander said seriously. "Professor McGonagall will assume the head of the school if that happens," he said, waving to the prim teacher sitting next to him.

Judge Finch sighed in frustration. "I suppose that will have to do for now. At least I know you have the children's best interests at heart. Harry, you made a good choice today. Take it from someone with years of experience in these situations," Judge Finch said kindly. “You’ll be going in to your rebellion years soon, try and pay attention to what Mr. Harris has to say.”

"I will, sir,” Harry said surely.

“Sure, you will,” said a doubtful Xander.

“I will,” protested the shy boy, thinking he would always listen to the one-eyed man. He had come to save him, after all.

“Do me a favor and keep me in the loop. I want to make sure that Justin is well protected. If I find out that he is in any danger, I will pull him from Hogwarts and send him to Eton,” Judge Finch warned.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Xander said understandingly. He’d do the same if he could.

Then the bailiff came running into the courtroom. Dumbledore had escaped.


	9. Christmas Changes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is the last chapter that has been to the betas. I have up to 17 written, but I am going through a medical thing that is keeping me from writing. When each chapter comes back from the betas, I’ll post it and perhaps by the time they catch up to me I’ll be able to write again. Figured I would let you know.   
> This chapter is a bit different, and those changes are happening. The next few chapters will show this.  
> DaughterOfIris23 and Dashti-the-dramione-shipper are the betas for this chapter.

The group assembled in front of the courthouse. They were all upset and happy at the same time: Happy that Harry was finally free of the Dursley’s, and upset that Dumbledore had slipped the bobbies so soon. They’d been hoping he would behave, at least until nightfall. Xander was just glad that he had put wards up on the Grangers’ house so they couldn’t be found by magicals, not that he planned on staying there long. He was going to take them all to Hogwarts after Christmas. Right now, they were wondering how, exactly, they were going to get to the Grangers’.

“Well, we have the car, but it’ll only hold five, or six if we squeeze,” Dan said, looking at McGonagall and Dora. They had indicated that they wanted to come to celebrate with the family.

“We can Apparate, but I don’t know where your house is,” Dora offered, having never been to the Grangers’.

“It’s strange; I used to know. I seem to remember the address, but I’m unable to get a fix on the location,” McGonagall said, confusion evident in her voice. She distinctly remembered sitting in the Grangers’ home, telling them about magic. She remembered reading the address on the letter, but then it was fuzzy. As if it had happened in a dream.

“Good, then the wards work,” Xander smirked. “What’s Apparate mean?”

“It’s a means of instantaneous travel--” started Hermione.

“Wait, we can teleport?” The one-eyed man was all but bouncing in place with excitement. That was one of the things Willow never had figured out. Actually, she couldn’t get a lot of things that he was doing here to work there, and he had to wonder whether the reason was how much magic was in this reality, or her own limitations. That couldn’t be right, though, because Willow could do many things these magicals had never heard of. Until him, that was.

“Not exactly. It’s more like opening a wormhole, a very small wormhole, and getting sucked in,” Dora answered. “You need to know where you’re going and have confidence in what you’re doing or you’ll splinch, which is leaving parts of you behind.”

The Grangers and Harry leaned against the courthouse wall and watched the four. They all shuddered at the splinching part, but they listened intently to the rest. Harry and Hermione didn’t want to pass up an opportunity to learn, and Dan and Emma were fascinated.

“Give me a minute; I want to see if I can figure it out,” Xander said as he started to pace. When he bumped into a passerby, he said, “We’d better take this to an alley. Wouldn’t want to break the Statute of Secrecy.”

“Good idea,” McGonagall agreed, leading the group to the nearest back street. After they all entered, she cast a notice-me-not charm on the entrance and returned to the subject. “While I have great faith in your ability to perform magic, Mr. Harris, are you sure you want to try something so dangerous without any formal training?”

“Why is it dangerous?” Xander asked, unconcerned. He was already going through ideas in his head.

“As Miss Tonks stated, the ‘wormhole’ grabs ahold of you and quickly transports you to your destination. If done incorrectly, body parts may be left behind,” she explained in her best teacher voice.

“Oh, well, I’ll make sure that I don’t do that. I think I’ll try something else,” Xander stated. He scrunched up his face and disappeared without a sound.

“Woah,” said the two kids and the Grangers.

“I don’t think that was Apparition,” Dora commented.

“I believe you’re correct, Miss Tonks,” Minerva agreed, looking hard at the spot he disappeared from.

“Where do you think he went?” Dan asked after a few minutes had passed. He hoped Xander would get back soon. It was freezing standing in this alley, and they still had to get the car.

“Knowing Xander, he might have tried to go to the moon,” Harry said with a bit of pride.

“You can’t breathe on the moon, silly,” Hermione disagreed, which set off arguments on where the overly-ambitious man went and what he was doing there.

“That was great,” Xander said as he suddenly popped back into view ten minutes later. “Home never looked so nice, you know, since it’s not there. Good riddance, I say. No Hellmouth is a good Hellmouth.”

“Wait, you went to the States?” Dora asked disbelievingly. No one she had ever heard of could do that, not even Dumbledore. They all needed Portkeys. And even then, it took much longer.

“Well, yeah, it’s one of the few places I know well,” he answered. “Anyway, I popped over to Hogwarts on my way back, and Joyce wants to celebrate, too. So why don’t we, as in the Grangers, Harry, and I, drive back to the house, and you two go back to the school? Then either Harry or I,” he waggled a finger between him and Harry, “will teleport us there,” he suggested, hoping no one would argue. It was cold, and he was a Californian, born and raised. Not to mention the fact that he was pulled here from Africa. Cold weather was something he was the not least bit used to.

“You’re going to teach Harry?” Dora asked with a bit of a pout.

“Don’t worry, I’ll teach you, too, but I want us to get out of the cold. I’m dying, here.”

“Oh, right, I forgot you were raised in a warmer climate. Okay, we’ll see you at Hogwarts,” she said, and then she Disapparated.

“I don’t know what you did, but do be careful,” McGonagall cautioned, then she, too, left with a sharp _crack_.

“Right, I’m with Xander, let’s get out of this cold,” Emma said as she herded them to the car. It was an excited drive home as they talked about Harry’s freedom and where he was going from there. Now he could do many things he never could under the hateful watch of the Dursleys, like have friends over, do well on schoolwork, or buy things for himself that he never would have had there, for fear of them being destroyed or taken away.

When they made it to the house, Xander said, “Okay, I’m going to take Harry to the back yard, and we’ll hop around it a bit. When we’re done, I’ll teach Hermione. That way, we’ll have three people who can take us anywhere in an emergency.”

“What about the underage magic rule?” Hermione asked in concern.

“I’ve been thinking about that. Minerva said even adults with wands can get caught in non-magical homes, if they use it too often. Something, about the Statute of Secrecy. Now, I’ve been doing magic here for days and no one has said anything to me. I think that if you don’t use a wand, you’ll be okay. Besides, if anyone gives you grief, just direct them to me, and I’ll handle it,” he said as he led the kids outside.

“Okay, but you’re taking the fall if something happens,” Harry said, relieved that he wasn’t going to get in trouble. He had great faith that Xander would protect him.

“Okay, so here’s what you do. Just picture a portal over your head, with the other side being where you want to go. Or, like I did with Sunnydale, feel the place. It’s like, if you wanted to go to the zoo, but it’s been redesigned and you don’t quite know what it looks like, then you remember the feel of looking at the lions, or something,” he directed Harry while the Granger family looked on. “This should be easy, since where you want to go is right next to that bush,” he finished, pointing at a shrub a little ways away.

Harry closed his eyes and visualized what Xander was saying. He saw the portal above his head; it was like someone cut out reality and replaced it with a new one within the space. He focused on the far corner of Hermione’s backyard, and then the portal simply swallowed him, and he was through. He turned around and looked back at the group, which was giving him a round of applause. They did this a few more times, and then Hermione tried. After a dozen or so mistakes, she got it right.

“Right. Now, take an adult each, and try it again,” Xander declared, pointing to the two awed, adult Grangers.

Hermione grabbed her mum, and Harry took Dan. They teleported a few more times, and then Harry tried to take the whole group without touching them. He succeeded.

“Okay, kiddos, let’s let Harry take us to Hogwarts,” the one-eyed man said, rubbing his hands together in an evil villain-like way.

The next thing the group knew, they were standing in the Great Hall of Hogwarts.

"Congratulations!" rang out several voices when they appeared. Joyce, the teachers, a few students, several people Harry didn’t know, and armor from practically the whole castle was standing there, clapping joyously.

"Great Merlin! How did they manage to Apparate into the castle?" Professor Flitwick gasped.

“I don’t think that was Apparition,” Kingsley said, noting the absence of the telltale sound.

Harry was grabbed and passed around in hugs, until he was approached by a man he didn’t know. “Ummm, who are you?” Harry asked, standing stiffly.

"Oh, Merlin, you don’t know me, and here I am hugging you. Sorry. I’m Bill Weasley, and I’ve been looking everywhere for you. When Percy told me that you were here, and that you looked so abused, I almost stormed the castle," Bill said as he released Harry. "Then, when my brothers told me about Halloween night and Xander, well, I figured I’d wait to see what happened. You’re okay now, right?”

Harry nodded. "They said you used to look after me."

"Aye. When I got older, I started searching for you. I took the job at Gringotts in hopes of getting information. The goblins knew, but they couldn't tell me outright because it was against the goblin code. I hoped to work my way up so I could find out more," Bill said ruefully, barely holding in his emotions with mental fingernails. He had been so worried when Harry disappeared. He had spent most of his adult life looking for this child, and now that he was in front of him, Bill didn’t know what to think. He looked so tiny and fragile. Bill really hoped that this Xander person would bring back some of the loving, laughing baby that he once knew.

"I had Bill transferred back to London once Dora told me who he was," Xander said as he measured the man in front of him. Even if Bill had been looking for Harry, he, Xander, didn’t know the guy, personally. Still, he hadn’t yet met a Weasley he didn’t like. Even that Ron kid was just that--a kid. He’d grow up one day.

The party was roaring success. The kids had fun telling stories about the judge, and the adults quietly discussed what to do about the Dursleys. Now the teachers knew that Harry had been abused, and they would treat him as well as they could. He wouldn’t get special treatment, but perhaps a bit more praise on deeds done well, and some encouragement that wouldn’t go amiss. Xander made sure that everyone knew that the non-magical courts system would handle Harry’s relatives, and that no magical intervention was required. The party broke up around midnight, and the Grangers, Xander, and Harry were a weary group. Harry transported them back to the house, and they all slept in the next morning.

After they had awoken, they looked at a few houses for Xander and Harry. Harry wasn’t exactly sure what he wanted, but Xander noticed that none of the ones he approved of had cupboards under the stairs. Harry greatly approved of a single story, three-bedroom, one and a half bath house. He liked the smaller space, and told Xander such. Xander said he’d see about prices and talk to the real estate agent.

The next day was Christmas Eve, and Xander could be found walking straight into doors and walls. After a great deal of teasing from everyone, he finally explained what he was doing. “I’m trying to phase through the wall.”

“Why? Doors aren’t good enough?” Dan asked, giving him an ‘are you _that_ lazy’ look.

“What? No. I’m just seeing if I can do it,” the one-eyed man said defensively.

“And again, I ask, why?”

“Well, I feel like I should use this magic stuff for all it’s worth. You never know what you’ll need later in life. This could save lives one day,” Xander answered, taking a seat at the table and thinking over the problem. It was true. He couldn’t count how many times walking through a wall would have saved a whole lot of trouble back in the Dale. Jesse might even be alive today if they could have just gotten out of that building.

Harry and Emma finished cooking and called Hermione, who was the only one still sleeping in, down to enjoy it.

“This is really good, Harry,” Emma said after testing the eggs the boy had made. “Where did you learn to cook?”

“Oh, ummm, well, you see…” Harry stuttered, not really wanting to tell them that he had been cooking since he could see the top of the stove.

“Never mind, dear,” Mrs. Granger said, silently cursing herself for bringing up a sore subject.

“Still, this is a good thing, cause the Xandman can’t cook at all,” Xander said, playing down his ability. He could cook, but he couldn’t make eggs taste like that.

“What was all that thumping I heard?” Hermione asked as she joined the table.

“Xander’s trying to walk through walls,” Harry answered, glad to get away from that subject.

“Oh. Are you making the walls intangible, or yourself?” she asked, taking a bite of bacon.

“The walls, but it’s not working,” the one-eyed man muttered.

“You should try it the other way,” the slightly-less-bushy-haired girl suggested. Her hair looked much tamer since Joyce had helped her, and she was happy that she could now style it instead of just letting it just frizz out.

They all sat and enjoyed the breakfast, and after an hour or so of running into walls, Xander got it. He tested it throughout the house to make sure it worked on every surface. He had a harder time going through stone, but wood was easy. He then promptly taught it to the kids, and told them not to use it at school unless the situation was dire.

The next day was Christmas, and Hermione woke Harry up as soon as the sun was up. Gifts were exchanged. Harry got mostly better-fitting clothes, but he received a few wizarding toys and games as well. The poor boy was confused and excited at the same time. This was his first Christmas that he could remember wanting to savor every moment of it. He kept all the paper and ribbons neatly folded in one of the smaller boxes. He received large gifts from those he was quickly thinking of as family; Xander, the Grangers, Joyce, and Professor McGonagall. There were smaller gifts from the kids in his dorm, and he was glad he was told to do the same for them. There were more cards than gifts, and they, too, were treated as treasures. He didn’t know he could send cards, and vowed to do so next year. Mrs. Weasley had sent both Harry and Hermione gifts of fudge, and the little group was happy to chow down on it all day.

Harry was glad that it was a small celebration. He didn’t know what he’d do if it was lavish. He was sure he would feel greatly out of place, to the point of being scared.

The small family, Xander, and Harry were having Christmas dinner at Hogwarts, where they would spend the rest of the holiday. The adult Grangers were excited to spend time with Hermione in the castle. That, and they were hiding from Emma’s sister. After breakfast, they all gathered what they needed and took ‘Harry Air’ to Hogwarts, where Joyce and Minerva greeted them. It was a great day, and they spent time with the castle residents until dinner. The Great Hall was reduced to one table, with adults on one side, children on the other.

When the meal was done, Xander and Joyce took Harry to Minerva’s office. She had left the meal early to catch up on some paperwork. Not even the holidays could stop her.

“Harry,” Xander said, sitting on a chair and indicating that Harry take the one next to him. “We have a proposition for you.”

“What kind of proposition?” the boy asked warily as he took the seat.

“Well, now that you’re free from the Dursleys, we wanted to ask if you would let us foster you until the year is over. If all works well, then we would adopt you magically. I’ll be doing that non-magically when that year is up. That way, you’ll have guardians that can take care of you until you’re an adult,” the older man stated. He had had to talk the two witches down from doing the adoption now. It would be too much too soon. Harry didn’t know any of them well enough to ask that.

“Will that change anything?” Harry asked, worried that it might make Xander more… well, not mean, but forceful.

“Not really, but it will give me some legal rights. This way I will be able to handle your finances, give you permissions you need a guardian for, and stuff like that. That, and if you’re hurt, I can sign off on your treatment,” was the answer.

“Oh, okay. I can see where that could be helpful,” Harry said, giving the three worried adults a small smile.

“We talked it over, and since I appear older, I will take the role of grandmother,” Minerva said, taking out the ritual bowl she had stashed.

“I will be your mom,” Joyce added, moving to join McGonagall.

“I will be your other mom,” Xander said with a serious face.

“Xander, quit playing around,” Joyce chastised, even as she laughed.

“Sound good,” Harry said with a boyish giggle. “Does that mean you’ll start wearing dresses?”

“I’ll have you know, young man, very few women I know wear dresses,” the one-eyed man proclaimed.

“Let’s get this done,” Minerva said, herding the group around the bowl. “I still have plenty of paperwork to get through, even if it is Christmas.”

A potion was poured, a bit of blood added, a spell spoken, and then Harry had a loving foster family.

“We’ll do the full one on Christmas next. Until then, you will be well cared for by the three of us. Remember, Minerva can’t treat you differently, but you can go to her if you need something,” Joyce said, giving the boy a hug.

“This is great; I feel like I have a loving family for the first time in my life,” the boy preened.

“That’s wonderful,” the new foster mother said, giving him another hug. The new family joined the rest of their group in Xander’s house. They sat, drinking cocoa and basking in a good Christmas.

“Mum, Dad,” Hermione started off tentatively, “I was talking to Madam Pomfrey earlier, and she said that she could fix my teeth. She said it was an easy procedure, and that it wouldn’t hurt me at all.”

“I’m not sure, Hermione,” Emma started, clearly worried that something might go wrong.

“She said that there’s no danger. All she’s going to do it shrink them a little bit, so that they’ll fit right,” the young girl stated hurriedly.

“There’s no surgery?” Dan asked, intrigued.

“No, just a small spell,” was the quick answer.

“We’ll see. Let us talk to her and see what she says,” Emma stated, not wanting to make a commitment without all the information.

“I will be more than happy to take you there, if you want to go now,” Minerva stated, politely stifling a yawn. It had been a long day for her.

“I’d like that. Do you want to come, Hermione?” Mrs. Granger asked, feeling her daughter might benefit in seeing the discussion.

“Yes,” was the exuberant reply.

“I think we should all go,” Xander said, getting up and stretching.

“Okay,” agreed Harry, copying his foster father.

They all trooped up to the hospital wing. They entered with a lot of noise, as Hermione could barely keep her happiness at bay.

“Poppy,” McGonagall called as she entered the room.

“Goodness, why all the noise?” the matron inquired, coming out of her office.

“Hermione’s parents wanted to ask you some questions,” Minerva answered, taking a seat on one of the beds.

“Is this about her teeth?” the portly woman asked, settling next to the Deputy Head.

“Yes, we want to know the risks involved,” Dan stated, sitting on the bed opposite.

“Well, there really are no risks. It is a simple spell. The only risk is if I don’t pay attention, she might have smaller teeth for a few minutes until I correct it.”

“So, it’s that simple?” Emma asked as she looked in awe and confusion, as if trying to wrap her head around how magic could fix something it would take her and her husband years to correct.

“I promise, it is really that simple,” the mediwitch supplied.

“Can I, Mum, please?” Hermione begged.

“Let us think about it. You may be used to all the wand waving, but your father and I are not,” her mum answered.

“Perhaps you can do so at the start of new year,” Minerva stated. “I wish to have Xander try his Animagus transformation at that time. It will give a few days to get used to the idea, and Hermione some time to persuade you,” she added, with a wink to the young girl, who smiled back.

Xander groaned. He was very afraid that he was going to turn into a female hyena. His possession in his junior year of high school by the spirit of a primal female hyena had been horrible. It left mental scars that would last him a lifetime. He really didn’t want to go that route again. It wasn’t that he had physically changed, but the thought process was a bit much. Brghhh.

McGonagall smiled, as if knowing what he was thinking. Xander had told her the story and she had told him many times it was not like that, but the young man was just too caught up in his memories to be reassured.

“Let’s go back to Xander’s house and enjoy the rest of Christmas. You can come if you like, Poppy,” Joyce said, getting up and heading for the door.

“Thank you, no. I have work that needs doing. The students will be back soon, and I need to brew the potions now that Severus is not here,” the matron stated, getting up and heading to her office.

The group headed once more to the house within the castle, and when it was time for bed, Harry went to his room. There, on the bed, was a wrapped gift. “Xander!” he called out the door.

“What’s up, Harry?” the one-eyed man asked as he came running up the stairs, closely followed by Joyce and Minerva.

“There’s a package on my bed,” the boy answered. “I don’t know who it’s from, so I called you.”

“Smart choice,” Xander said, clapping Harry on the back.

“I recognize that,” McGonagall stated. “I saw it in Albus’ office.”

“Do you know what it is?” the one-eyed man asked, peering at the present as if it would bite. Who knew what the old man was up to.

“No, I am sorry, I do not,” she answered.

“I do,” Joyce said with a smile. “Go ahead, Harry, open it.”

“Wait,” Xander said quickly, gently holding Harry back. “Minerva, check it for foreign magic, would you?”

McGonagall waved her wand and found nothing malicious on it. There was a small compulsion charm, which was quickly removed.

“Go ahead, Harry,” Joyce repeated.

So, Harry opened it and put the wrapping aside. Inside was some shiny, silky material. “It’s a sheet,” he said, looking unsure how he felt about that.

“No, it’s something much more than that. Put it on and look in the mirror over there,” Joyce encouraged.

Harry did as asked. He moved to the mirror, only to find his body gone. He could feel it, but he couldn’t see it. “Wow, what is this?” he asked in awe, turning one way and then the other.

“It’s your father’s invisibility cloak,” she answered, standing behind him so he could see her reflection through the cloak.

“This is awesome! Did it really belong to my dad?” That was even more exciting than the cloak. He didn’t have anything that belonged to either of his parents. Heck, he didn’t even know what they looked like.

“Yup, it’s how he got away with so many pranks while in school,” she answered, smirking at McGonagall.

“Please, don’t encourage him,” the professor moaned. James and his group of miscreants had been enough. She still had the Weasley twins to deal with, she didn’t need Harry to start mischief.

“Oh, no, I think that’s a great idea. I might even recruit the Weasley twins,” Xander said with a smirk of his own.

“Dear Merlin, why?” the transfiguration teacher groaned, as if seeing many sleepless nights ahead.

“It’ll help with stealth and evasion later in life,” came the logical answer.

“I guess it can’t be helped,” she sighed.

“Put it away for now, Harry. You can play with it later. Minerva, could you charm his trunk against thieves?” Xander asked, knowing that this cloak would be a great temptation to other kids. Well, if they found out about it, and could get into the house. Still, better safe than sorry.

“I feel that you could do it better,” she stated, knowing that he just needed a nudge to do wonderful things.

“Yeah, I think I can do that.” So, he went to the trunk thought a moment, then tapped it. Now, if anyone tried to open it, their hands would get stuck and a loud car alarm would sound. It would be so loud; the whole castle would hear it. Only Harry and those he granted permission would be safe from this. “There you go, all secure. Not that you need it here, but it doesn’t hurt to be sure. Go to sleep, Harry. We’ll visit Hagrid in the morning. I wanted to ask him a few things, anyway.”

The next morning dawned bright and white. The seasonal snow covered the land in a soft white blanket. The gang ate breakfast and then they all trooped to Hagrid’s. The giant man welcomed them in and gave them his infamous rock cakes and some tea. The children tried to hide the rock cakes, but Xander took a bite and almost broke his tooth.

“Hagrid, not all of us have granite teeth and a jaw like a trash compactor,” he said, putting his rock cake in his tea to soften it.

“What’s a trash compactor?” Hagrid asked, looking at the rock cakes with fresh eyes. He thumped it on the table and then agreed that maybe it was too hard for the smaller humans.

Hermione launched into a description of what a compactor was and how it worked.

Hagrid looked as if he wasn’t sure if he was being insulted or not.

They enjoyed the rest of their tea and settled in to have a wonderful morning with a good friend. Xander asked a few questions about the security of the grounds. He found the answers somewhat lacking for his satisfaction, but he could change that. Hagrid gave the kids a small Christmas gift. For Hermione he had gotten a book on Kneazles, and for Harry he had carved a wooden flute. They thanked him and hugged him, both saying they would give him something extra special next year.

The rest of the day was spent in the castle, just having fun with the Weasleys and a few of the other students left behind. The Grangers talked with Hermione’s teachers and got a progress report on their little girl. They were both happy that Hermione was at the top of her class, though they would have to talk about her need to answer every question asked.

The next few days were spent as a family: eating, playing, and just relaxing in front of the telly.

New Year’s Eve came, and everyone was excited. Well, everyone except Xander, he was dragging his feet. The idea of becoming a female hyena was still plaguing his mind. He just couldn’t shake the image. His meditations showed that it was a dog type animal of some sort, and even though he knew they were more closely related to cats, hyenas looked like dogs. So, he reluctantly followed everyone to the Hospital Wing and was soon sitting on a bed. He was glad Hermione decided to go first.

“Okay, now, Miss Granger, are you ready?” Poppy asked as she stood in front of the girl. Hermione’s parents hovered right behind her, but she was able to maintain a calm professional demeanor.

“Yes, ma’am,” the hyped-up girl replied, trying to sit still. She had been looking forward to this all her life, especially since she found out about magic. Her parents never really understood what a burden it was to have large front teeth. The teasing, the name calling, and the just plain hurt she felt when she looked in the mirror was something she was looking forward to leaving behind her. She tried not to be a superficial person, but it was hard sometimes not to get caught up in it. Now that her hair was tamer, she wanted to look pretty for once in her life.

“Open wide and hold very still. It will be over in a few seconds,” the matron said, pointing her wand at the enlarged front teeth. With a flick of her wand and a muttered spell, Hermione’s teeth shrank. Madam Pomfrey stopped the spell when the incisors were in line with the other teeth. Hermione Granger had a perfect smile.

“I still wish we could do that,” Emma sighed as she examined the work. It was flawless. Since Hermione took very good care of her teeth, her little girl looked wonderful.

“We’d be out of a job,” Dan said, smiling at his little girl. “You look lovely, sweetheart.”

Hermione ran her tongue over her teeth and yelled with joy. She promptly got up and hugged everyone. They all laughed and hugged her back.

“I thought you were very pretty before, but if it makes you happy…” Harry said as he was hugged. He had stiffened, and tried to relax, but it was hard. He was still very uncomfortable with touching of any kind. Xander tried to keep it to touches on the shoulder, and that was usually for encouragement. Still, Joyce hugged him often, so hopefully he’d get used to them soon.

“Thank you, Harry,” Hermione said, flashing her wonderful smile at him.

“Okay, Xander, it’s your turn,” Minerva stated, hustling everyone to the side of the room. In her experience, newly changed Animagi had a hard time remembering who they were. So, it was better to have everyone out of range.

“I’m blaming you if I turn female,” he mumbled.

“Why would you become female?” Emma asked, not knowing the story.

“Let’s just call it left over high school anxiety,” the one-eyed man sighed. He deliberately hadn’t told the Grangers about Buffy and gang’s nighttime activities. They only knew that Joyce was Buffy’s mother and that they had been friends in high school. He might sit down and tell them one day, but they really didn’t need to know the past right now. The demons in his reality were a far cry from the magical creatures in this one. “Here you go, young man,” Minerva stated, handing him a vial of Animagus potion. Joyce had made Xander make it. She had tested it, and it was brewed correctly, but it felt different; more potent, or something.

“Well, here goes nothing.” Xander sighed and downed the potion. For a few moments, nothing happened. Then, with a flash of light, the man was gone, and in his place was a huge wolf. Minerva whipped out her wand and backed everyone into a corner, waiting to see if he was in control.

“He’s a werewolf!” 


	10. Facing Albus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, here’s the next chapter. This one is a great deal different than the original. I took out quite a bit and added a few scenes. Some filler, some to move my plot along.   
> A lot of people are disagreeable with me letting Dumbledore back in the castle. I’m not sure where I’m going with him, so I don’t want to get rid of him just yet. However, I might just write him out in the next few chapters or make him a background character. Someone who just pops up to put a wrench in things from time to time. Though, unlike the original fic, this Dumbledore is less comic relief and more hubris.  
> DaughterOfIris23 and Dashti-the-dramione-shipper are the betas for this chapter.

The room feel silent at Hermione’s exclamation, until Harry’s young voice broke it.

“Really!?” the young man said excitedly, trying to get past his transfiguration teacher. Since he had read about werewolves in muggle books, he had always wanted to see one.

“Are you sure?” Emma asked, holding Harry back by his shirt. “He looks like a regular wolf to me.”

“You will notice, he has a shorter snout, there is human intelligence in his eyes, and he has a tuft tail,” McGonagall pointed out, keeping her wand trained on the werewolf, though it hadn’t moved since transforming. “Though he is quite a bit larger than any werewolf I’ve seen.”

“And he can hear you,” the werewolf stated in a growly voice, looking at all the scared people and sat in a non-aggressive manner. He marveled at being able to see with both eyes. That was something he missed. He cocked his head to the side, had a thought and looked between his legs. Whew, he was still male. That was a relief.

“Xander change back so everyone settles down,” Joyce said from his side, were she was petting his massive head.

“Fine,” he grumbled and once again a flash of light he was back to the one-eyed man they all knew.

“Well at least you are not a female hyena,” Minerva said helpfully as she guided the still shell-shocked family to a bed. The Grangers decided to let that statement go, one shock a day was quite enough thank you very much. Harry already knew, as did Hermione, but Xander made them promise not to tell. Since it wasn’t dangerous they agreed.

“There is that,” Xander conceded. “Hey now, do you know why I was so big? I don’t remember Oz being that big,” he asked Joyce.

“That’s because you’re a Conri, named after a Roman wolf god. They are the biggest and most feared wolf. Next comes the Alphas, then Betas, then at the end of the social ladder is the Omegas. Conri, were Omegas that survived being exiled from the pack. They are rare, since they never formed another pack and became loners. You will only find the werewolf version in magical communities. There are only about five in the entire world at a time. They are revered because they can control the werewolf population in to being docile during the full moon. However, they are also hunted by Alphas who fear they will try and take over their pack. So, it would be better if we don’t tell anyone not in this room about you,” she explained, going into as much detail as she knew. There had been one Conri when she was living in the castle long ago. He was a kind man and gentle to everyone. He died of old age, and she hadn’t heard any stories of one in Britain since.

“Great! King of the goblins, Owner of Hogwarts, now a wolf god. This is not what I signed up for,” he groused to Joyce.

“You were recruited, remember?” she stated with a smirk.

“Dammit!” he yelled.

“Mr. Harris, language,” Minerva chastised, looking at the children.

“Will I turn at the full moon?” the one-eyed man asked Joyce, since she seemed to know a bit about these Conri.

“No, but you can if you want. Think of yourself as an Animagus. That is what we were doing after all.”

“I had forgotten,” Minerva said thoughtfully. “There has not been a record of a magical Animagus in many centuries. I wonder if they, like you, just didn’t report it?”

“Could be. I know I don’t want the hassle of the public knowing,” Xander said, doing a full body shake. He really felt he needed a bath. And maybe a shave.

“Now all we have to do it get the kids to where they can take the potion,” Joyce said happily.

“You’re expecting them to be magical as well,” Minerva asked, hoping they would turn into something a bit less frightening, like a unicorn or something.

“Yup,” was all the answer she got.

“Awesome,” Harry said, vowing to practice his meditation every moment he got. He wanted to be a werewolf like Xander. Then they would be closer.

Hermione, on the other hand, was hoping to be a post owl.

It took two days of trial and error, but soon Xander was walking around with two eyes. He had superimposed his wolf eyes over his regular eyes. Sure, they were yellow, but he could see correctly. The bonus part was, now he could see even better than before. It took an entire day to get use to using two eyes again, but he was much happier not to have that blind spot. Both Minerva and Joyce told him that his eye color would not be commented on. It was not unusual for others to have strange features. There was a lot of mixed blood in the wizarding community. Some had the features of the Veela, much like the Malfoy’s bleach blond hair, and effeminate faces. Others had instincts for hunting, and gardening, related to woodland creatures. Filius Flitwick was part goblin, and no one had mentioned it in more than passing. Madam Hooch’s eagle eyes were also not that irregular. So, Xander was more than happy to walk around with two bright yellow wolf eyes.

The morning the train was scheduled to return, there was a bit of an argument.

“What do you mean they have to take the train here? They’re already here?” Xander stated, looking at Joyce and Minerva. The two kids were watching from the sidelines. The Granger parents were wondering the same as Xander. They had spent the whole holiday here at Hogwarts, their business partner had taken over the practice for the Christmas season, which was slow. They’d let the man have a long vacation come summer. He wanted to attend his daughter’s wedding at that time, so it was an even tradeoff.

“It is tradition. This way they can spend their day reminiscing with friends in a comfortable atmosphere. The only adult will be you, and you will be patrolling,” McGonagall explained. She wasn’t sure what the problem was, but she was going to have her way in this.

“They can do that when the others get here. It’s not like you’re going to make the Weasleys do the same,” came the logical argument.

“The Weasleys signed on to stay. Harry and Hermione did not. The train takes a count on who is returning in order to make sure the castle is prepared for the correct number of students,” she explained as well as she could.

“It is a magical train, Xander,” Joyce added pointedly. The train had not been around in her time, and she could say that if that was one of its purposes then it was a good one. She remembered the many times students never came back from vacation; be it illness, finances or they were killed for being magical. In any case, the castle was always unprepared for their departure. Not that it was a big hassle, but it did throw things off for a few days.

“How can two students affect the running of the school?” the confused man asked. That didn’t make sense.

“The house elves leave nothing unaccounted for. Every scrap of food, linen and resources are tallied. It was a small hassle to provide food for you and your guest this holiday. However, since you have your own living accommodations and ate most of your meals here, it was not that large of a burden. The school is on a tight budget, thanks to the Board.”— “Not for much longer,” came Xander’s grumble. — “If Harry and Hermione are not on the train, amenities will be adjusted to compensate. Their beds will be gone and anything they left behind will be banished. While the running of the school itself will not be affected by much, it will throw everything out to sync,” Minerva tried to explain again.

“Can’t the house elves count them now?” came the logical question. It seemed simple enough to him.

“I do not know, it has never been done. Everyone who has ever stayed was marked present. Pippy,” she called to the air.

“Yes, Professor Kitty,” the small female elf, dressed in a nice floral tea towel with the Hogwarts crest on its left shoulder, asked when it popped in.

Harry and Hermione gasped, they had never seen a house elf before, sure they heard of them, but they had never seen them. To them it looked like something out of Tolkien. Much like the goblins at the bank. Whose personality was nothing like the Hobbit’s goblins, thankfully, but they looked the same. It made Hermione wonder how many other creatures depicted in non-magical novels were real.

Harry couldn’t wait to meet more of these house elves. They appeared to be non-threatening, so perhaps he could make friends with them. They would also help with his spying. If they were the workers of the castle, they must know a lot of what goes on.

“Can you add Miss Hermione Granger and Mr. Harry Potter to those who stayed over Yule break?” she asked, feeling foolish for having the argument in the first place.

“Yes, Professor Kitty, Pippy will bes adding them,” the little elf stated with a firm nod.

“Very well, you may go,” the Deputy Head said, with a small smile. The elf nodded and popped away.

“Wait!” cried Harry a moment too late, the house elf was already gone. “I want to go on the train. It’ll be fun catching up with Neville.” He loved being around people who cared but getting away from the adults would be relaxing. He always felt like he had to be on his best behavior, and being around kids his own age, he wouldn’t feel that way. Xander had to patrol the train, so it would just be him and his friends.

“I want to go too. I don’t want to stay here without Harry,” Hermione insisted. She wanted to get some time alone with Harry and Neville, for much the same reasons. That wouldn’t happen if they stayed here. As big as the castle was, there was little privacy.

“Of for the love of Twinkies… Pippy,” Xander called the little elf. He was still getting used to the little buggers, they were very much like demons in his eyes, but benign ones. Still, he understood where the kids were coming from, but they should have spoken up earlier.

“What can Pippy be doing for Mr. Wolf God Kingy, sir?” the very nervous elf asked. The elves were very impressed with the new man. He saved Harry Potter and he was kind to them, but they had never worked around a god before. Even if he wasn’t a _real_ god, he was the closest thing to one here at Hogwarts.

“First off, don’t call me that,” he said with a bit of a growl, which didn’t help his cause. To his way of thinking just because his Animagus form was a Conri, that didn’t mean he was any sort of god. He shuddered to think of the last ‘god’ he and the Scoobies had faced. He wanted nothing to do with being anything that could be related to Glory. That women was a bitch of the highest proportion. “Second, Harry and Hermione want to go on the train, so take them off the stayed here list, please.”

“Yes, sir, Mr. Wolfy, sir,” she squeaked and popped away.

“That’s better I suppose,” the wolf-eyed man sighed. He then turned to the kids. “You two, go get a bag together with stuff you’ll need to keep you entertained for few hours or so,” he ordered, still finding the whole thing ridiculous.

“Okay, Xander,” they both said as they hurried away, excitedly talking about what to bring to show Neville.

“I’m going to take the Grangers home, I’ll be back to welcome Dumbledore, then get on the train. I didn’t sign up for this,” he grumbled to himself as he stomped away. The two women just giggled.

After seeing the Granger parents to their home, Xander came back to Hogwarts, and met Joyce and Minerva at the gates. All of them were bundled up against the cold. Snow was falling, and it would have been a nice morning, if they weren’t there to hand out ultimatums. Speaking of which, at the gates, waiting to be let in, stood Dumbledore and his lackey, Severus Snape.

“A world of no. No way. No how. Not in this life time. That man is not coming back in here,” Xander said, pointing at the greasy-haired man with the permanent scowl.

“I’d love to see you try and stop me,” Snape sneered. This upstart muggle got the jump on him once, he would not let it happen again.

“Dude, you aren’t even worth the effort. Joyce,” the wolf-eyed man said, turning to the fuming embodiment of Hogwarts.

She smiled an evil smile and waved her hand. A flaming wall burst up between the school and the former professor. A continuous rain storm fell on the younger man, leaving him soaked to the bone in a moment.

Snape jumped away from the fire and tried to dissipate the storm. His hair was plastered to his head and stuck to the front of his face. Like dark rivers of water against a white background. He tried to conjure an umbrella, but the wind would just kick up and blow it away. “Release me, foolish woman,” he demanded of Joyce.

“No, I don’t think I will,” she said smugly, shaking her head.

“Now see here, is this truly necessary?” Dumbledore started, waving his wand trying to dismiss the spells. He couldn’t, and it was getting very frustrating. He needed Severus to stay at the castle. His uses were not over yet. When Voldemort came back, the young man would be invaluable.

“No, you see here,” Minerva countered, spitting angry. “That man has no reason to be here, and for you to bring him was beyond the pale. Severus Snape is a _child abuser_. We cannot in good conscience allow him within the walls of this school. I do not care if he has your confidence. He does not have ours.” She was still fuming about what they had found out about the man who she had worked beside these many years. She knew he was spiteful, but to be downright abusive… Well, she was going to pay better attention to her coworkers from now on.

“Yeah, I don’t know what political mumbo-jumbo you pulled to get him free, but it holds no weight here at Hogwarts. You are on thin ice as it is. Chose, the school or him,” Xander stated, hoping the man would fight more and give them a reason to bar him as well.

“Very well,” the old man sighed, wondering when he had lost control over the situation. “Severus, I will contact you in the near future,” he said to the man whose clothes were starting to steam.

“Headmaster, you cannot be serious. Where am I to go? I gave up everything to follow you,” Snape snarled. He had nothing to fall back on. No career, little money, and only a small house at Spinner’s End, which everyone knew about. He knew if Albus could not get him reinstated into the school, he would have to flee the country. He had too many enemies to live here, at least he had trusted contacts abroad. Here, without the old man’s protection, he would be hunted.

“It seems to be out of my hands, Severus. However, all is not lost. Go to the area where we met during the war and I will meet you there posthaste,” Albus said, giving the man a knowing look. He wasn’t going to abandon the poor man. While there was little he could do right now, he would do his best to see he was provided for. He needed him in the future, and it would not do to have the Potions Master disappear.

Nodding Snape twisted and disappeared, taking the storm with him. Seeing he was gone, Joyce released the spelled fire until there was nothing but a blackened area in the snow, where it had stood. She waved her hand new grass sprung up, looking very much out of place in the surrounding snow.

“You do not realize what you have done,” Dumbledore stated in his grandfatherly manner, making sure to let them know he was disappointed in them. Not that they cared. “That man will be needed in the future, and you have alienated him. I do hope this does not come back to haunt you,” he added ominously.

“Oh, you mean your little spy? Yeah, I’m not worried about him in the least. If this Voldy guy shows up, we won’t be needing your pet Death Eater,” Xander said, shaking his head in disbelief. “Look, let’s get this over with. I have a train to catch,” he said as he stomped away. They had decided not to show off his new talents. Dumbledore would learn when and where the rest of the school did.

McGonagall looked at her longtime friends and sighed. “Albus, we have conditions that you must follow to retain your headmastership. Come to your office and we will discuss them. I warn you that they are not debatable. You will abide by them, or Joyce will be more than happy to remove you, again.” She then turned a followed Xander. Joyce just smirked and caught up with the other two.

“Why are we giving him a second chance?” grumbled Xander when the women reached him, even though he knew why. It still made him angry.

“Politics, mostly,” was Joyce’s answer.

“I hate politics,” he sighed. They made the rest of the way silently. “What about his escape from the police? Doesn’t that constitute his removal?” He knew it wouldn’t, as he had told the judge, but he was grasping straws.

“There’s a few things you need to learn about this world, Xander, and first and foremost is that what happens in the non-magical world has very little consequence on this one. You know this. The only time the Ministry will interfere is if the Statute of Secrecy is broken. Things like underage magic, and muggle baiting, but only if they’re caught. Other then that they could care less. However, we can use this to keep a tighter rein on the esteemed Headmaster,” Joyce said with a small sigh. She hated the division. It made the magicals fall far behind, and it was going to be their job to catch them up.

“So, wait a cotton pickin’ minute here, I could go and kill someone, and if I don’t break this statute, then all I have to do is hide in the magical world?” Xander asked aghast. He knew it was bad, but not _that_ bad.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Joyce confirmed.

“I’m so going to change that,” the wolf-eyed man grumbled. He seemed to be doing a lot of that today.

They continued their way silently, Dumbledore trailing behind. When everyone had finally met in the office, Joyce sitting in front of the desk and Minerva sitting beside her. Xander was leaning against the wall. Dumbledore took the seat behind his desk. Everyone started at one another for a tense few minutes.

“Albus,” Minerva started, hoping this went smoothly, “it took a lot of convincing, and it is only because of your years of good service that I could, but I finally persuaded Joyce and Xander to let you come back. However, there are rules you must abide by.”

“First off, it is your job to make sure that the school is supplied correctly. There is no reason for some of the equipment to be in such disrepair. I know for a fact that it is within the budget to replace the brooms,” Joyce started, going for the least important thing first. They would build up to the more important ones as they went along.

“The Board…” started Albus.

“Has nothing to do with the supplies. It is your job, not theirs,” interrupted the embodiment of Hogwarts. “I don’t know when the Board was created, but they should not be in control of the budget. They are only there to make sure that it is not abused. Getting new brooms doesn’t constitute abuse.”

Dumbledore sighed. He had tried for years to get control of the budget, with little success. How was he supposed to do so now? He told them as much.

“Lucky for you, I am the owner of the school. If they give you grief, then let me know and I’ll come and give them a what for,” Xander said, smirking at the thought of the scare he would put into those jackasses.

“Second, we have started a few important classes. We feel that they are necessary for the development of the children. As part of your probation, it will be up to you to make sure these classes are not cut. It _is_ one of your duties to make sure the children are fully educated. If you cut these classes, it will tell us that you don’t care if they make it in the world after they graduate,” Minerva said, handing him a list of the classes they had installed, and what the curriculum of each was.

He took the papers and read over them. “I do not see an issue with these. However, if the budget does not cover them, then it will be out of my hands,” the Headmaster said distractedly as he continued to read. They were not harmful, so he could work with this. He put them on his desk, and he turned back to the people in front of him. It still galled him that they thought they could dictate to him, but he would play along for now.

“Thirdly, the only time you should interfere with the students is; if they are failing academically, have broken the rules, or have a health issue that needs to be addressed. At no time are you to interfere with their home lives. Unless, you think they are being abused. From what I’ve seen, you couldn’t tell abuse from a hole in the ground, so heed the word of your medical personnel,” was Xander’s input. That should cover Harry and anyone else this man thought he could control. 

“Harry…”

“Mr. Potter,” McGonagall snapped harshly. “You will address all the students formally. Mr. Potter is not a special case. He is your student and only that.”

“Very well. Mr. Potter’s life is in danger now that you have taken him from his relatives,” Dumbledore said, mildly chastising the group before him.

“See, I’m pretty sure we just laid out your duties, and not one of them state that you have any control over that,” Xander said casually, not jumping to anger just yet. “So, we’ll just jump to the last issue. Since you cannot be trusted to hire confident teachers, all postings will have to be previewed with us. There will be no more Snapes or Binnses, if I can help it.”

“Now see here, Severus and Cuthbert were very good professors,” Albus argued, he saw nothing wrong with either of them. They had served the school well in the years they taught.

“That right there, is why you cannot be trusted. You think a child abuser and a ghost detached from reality are good instructors,” the wolf-eyed man stated. “I had a few creepy teachers in my day and I can tell ya, _they_ taught better than those two.”

“Will you be vetting my every move?” the old man asked, worried that he would have no wiggle room to exploit what was needed for the war he knew was coming.

“For the time being, until you prove that you have the students’ best interest at heart,” Minerva said, hoping that perhaps the man she knew when she was hired would come back. She didn’t know when he had changed, but the man that hired her all those years ago, was not the man she was looking at now.

“Look, Dumbledore, we aren’t going to just jump all over you for every mistake. It is only those that you are not supposed to be concerned with in the first place that will make us step in. If you do your job, and not interfere with things that don’t concern you, we’ll get along just fine,” Xander offered as a compromise.

“Very well, and thank you,” Albus said, looking at the three expectantly.

“There is one last thing,” Joyce said, her face taking on a stormy look. “If you _ever_ , and I do mean _ever_ , bring danger into this school again, I will personally take great pleasure in removing, dropping you in non-magical London and telling the world all the dirty secrets that I know about you. Remember, I am the embodiment of this school, and in this case, ‘the walls have ears’ is a very true phrase,” she finished, grinning evilly. She knew things about this man, that she was sure he wanted no one to know. The portraits loved to gossip. They remember well when Albus was a student and a professor. He had not been the good little boy he portrayed being.

“Wait, you have dirt and you’re not sharing,” Xander exclaimed, almost hurt that she didn’t give him the juicy details.

“Xander, do you want me to share some of the things I know about you?” she asked sweetly.

“I’ll be good,” he said immediately. He didn’t know what she knew, but Buffy was her daughter, so he wasn’t going to take the chance.

“Back to the issue. That stone has been removed, the Cerberus taken back to Hagrid, and those lame traps were dismantled. I don’t know what you were playing at, but those ‘traps’ were a joke. Nevertheless, they are gone as is everything you put in that hall that was a danger to the children. I will not have you making this school your personal playground. If you want to protect something do it somewhere else,” Joyce snarled. She was so angry. She was holding on to her temper with mental fingernails. It would take quite some doing to get her to trust this man again. And if he didn’t wield such power in the Wizarding World, she’d make sure he never crossed her threshold again.

“I had nowhere else to put it,” Dumbledore protested, cursing silently. That was one plan destroyed. How was he going to capture Tom if he didn’t have the Philosopher’s Stone? What was he going to tell Nicholas?

“That’s complete bullshit. I know for a fact that the stone was in good hands. The vault was _allowed_ to be ‘robbed’, because they were trying to capture the man who dared try. Unfortunately, he got away. The goblin don’t think it was a man, but a wraith. The wraith entered the vault, saw it was empty, and in its anger, let off a blast of magic, which sealed the vault. By the time the goblins got there the vault was empty. So, there wasn’t a real ‘robbery’. If it had been and actual person, they would have been sealed in the vault and killed. The stone would have been safe, since the wraith couldn’t touch it. It was probably there to case the joint,” Xander explained, going through what the goblins had told him.

“How did the public know, if this farfetched tale it true?” Albus inquired dubiously.

“The alarm closed the doors to the bank,” was the succinct answer.

“Nonetheless, Voldemort is after the stone. There is no safer place than Hogwarts,” the Headmaster said with pride.

“Again, I call bullshit. Don’t you remember the day I got here? There was a huge mountain troll in a girls’ bathroom ready to kill two students,” Xander said, looking at the man as if he had gone senile.

“Don’t forget that someone tried to kill Harry,” Joyce added, glaring at the old man.

“When, pray tell, did this happen?” Albus asked in dread. He knew that something like this would happen if he were not here.

“Don’t worry I saw to it. It’s part of my job,” the wolf-eyed man stated proudly.

“Yes, about your job. What exactly does it entail? There has never been a Head of Security,” the Headmaster asked, intrigued that such an office was formed. He wondered how they got it past the Board of Governors.

“Pretty much what the title says. I see to the safety of the school. If something comes up, I haul out my axe and fix it,” Xander replied with a shrug. It seemed obvious to him.

“May I inquire where the stone is now? I _was_ asked to protect it,” Dumbledore asked, hoping that if he got the stone, he could once again set a trap. Harry needed to be trained on how to react to Voldemort. He needed to know that the man was not gone, so he could prepare himself to fight him. The prophecy demanded it.

“Like I’m going to tell you. No, the only thing you need to know is that it is safe, and far from anyone’s reach,” the relocated man said. He had put it in his pocketspace, where he kept his weapons. No one could get it there. He’d talk to this Flamel guy and see what he wanted done with it. Until then, no one, not even Joyce or Minerva, knew where it was hidden.

“Very well,” Albus sighed disappointedly. He would look for it in his spare time. There wasn’t a stone in this castle he didn’t know. At least that’s what he thought. “It appears there is little left to discuss. Therefore, I will look over what you have given me and set my course to repairing any damage that has befallen in my absence,” Dumbledore stated importantly, thinking of the two professors that had been removed while he was gone. He didn’t know who was teaching the classes now, but they would need to be interviewed to see if they were capable to teaching. If not, then he would have to find new ones. Albus growled internally, remembering he had to put any applicant pass the three making demands. It irritated him that his wings were being clipped so neatly. It gave him little to work with.

Minerva growled. “Do you believe me so insufficient that I could do ‘damage’?” she snarled at the old man. Never had she been so insulted.

“Of course not, my dear. I am only speculating on the state of the school, since you do not have my authority to sign off on many things,” Dumbledore quickly replied.

“Ah, but I do. However, I left it in the hands of those more knowledgeable than me. Minerva simply asked, and I authorized,” Xander said with a smirk. They had gotten a lot done when the old man was gone. And he’d be damned if he let Albus mess it up.

“Xander, you need to get to the train,” Joyce said, looking at her watch. It was time to wrap this up anyway. She gently took the fuming transfiguration teachers elbow and led her from the room. Not saying another word to the Headmaster. They had said all that was needed. The ball was in his court now.

“One last word of warning. Leave my son alone,” Xander growled. “He’s not your responsibility, and if I find you have taken liberties, I will react accordingly.” And with that he left the thoughtful man to think on what he said.

Albus sat and wondered, _‘Who was the man’s son? He hadn’t come with a child, did the portal open up again while he was away?’_ He quickly dismiss the idea and went to talk to Severus. They needed a plan of action. He would give the poor man the key to the wards of his own house, which he used to get away from the pressures of his many offices. It was under a Fidelius, so well hidden. Then, perhaps, Severus would not leave. His house had a well-stocked potion’s lab, a house elf and plenty of room. The Potions Master would want for nothing there. It would take some doing, but he was determined to keep his protégé here in Britain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I would like to invite you to read my blog on WordPress. It is under the title Encouraging Fairywm. You might learn a bit about me. Your choice, but I thought I’d throw it out there.


	11. Is That a Dragon?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I couldn’t find the classification of Fluffy, so for this fic he’s going to be a XXX class creature. 
> 
> Oh, I want to say, I have been remiss in not telling all of you who enjoyed my story, Thanks, from the bottom of my heart. Your reviews help me to keep going and bring a bit of joy to my day. So, thanks again.
> 
> DaughterOfIris23 and Dashti-the-dramione-shipper are the betas for this chapter.

Xander finally caught up with the kids at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, where they had been dropped off earlier, with orders to stay on the magical side. He made sure they were in a compartment with Neville and that they had money for the food cart. He then patrolled the carriages. He had been gone only a few minutes when Malfoy, with his thugs, decided to try and bully Harry and his friends.

“Potter. I thought you were going to spend time at the castle? It’s not like you have a family to go home to. Or did your little Mudblood take pity on you and take you home to Mummy?” he sneered around the room, glaring at those he thought beneath him. He truly hated the fact that people like these were allowed to enter Hogwarts.

“Malfoy. I see your mouth moving, but all I feel is hot air. Are you saying something important?” Harry asked, not the least bit concerned with this bigot’s words. Xander had told him that he needed to stand up to bullies or they would run all over him. His bodyguard had regaled him with tales of his own school years. He, too, was picked on quite a bit, but never gave into the peer pressure of others. Well, maybe his friends, but he learned from it and imparted the wisdom to Harry.

“Watch it, Potter, or you’ll come to the same end as your parents,” Malfoy repeated his words from their second meeting.

“Wow, I’ve never heard that before. I wonder, do you ever have an original thought in your head, or do you just repeat everything your father says? Because, you said the same thing to me only a few months ago. If all you can do is recycle the same empty threats then I have no need to talk to you any further.” And with that, he waved his hands, and Malfoy and his goons disappeared.

“Where did you send them?” Neville asked with a wide grin. He loved the way Harry stood up to Malfoy. He only hoped he would have the courage to do the same one day.

“The loo,” Harry laughed, and the others soon joined in.

“Isn’t it a little tight in there?” Hermione asked as she giggled at the thought of the three boys crammed into the small space.

“Yeah, but I’m sure they won’t stay there for long,” the dark-haired boy predicted.

And he was correct. Xander found the boys when he walked by the bathroom and heard a lot of moaning and complaining. He opened the door and saw the three boys shoved together in what must have been very painful positions.

“Draco, Vincent, Greg, what are you doing in there?” he asked as he widened the doorway so they could get out. He then looked at the bathroom, and with a touch of his finger to the outer wall, he extended it and added a few more toilets so that more than one person could use it. Then he remembered he was on a train with mixed sexes, so he added a chastity charm. If there was a girl in the room, then a sign on the door would show such, and only other girls could enter. Same with the boys. Never could both sexes be in at the same time. He did all this quickly, so the boys, who were still straightening themselves out, didn’t see. Hopefully, they would think a teacher fixed it after they disembarked. Just to be safe, he put a mild compulsion on the door for people to believe just that.

“Potter put us there,” the blond boy snarled as he straightened his robe.

“Really? How did he do that?” Xander asked, knowing it was probably true.

“With magic,” Draco replied, as if Xander were a simpleton.

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” the wolf-eyed man snapped. “As far as I know, Harry is a first year with only has a few months of magical training. You’ll need to come up with a better lie then that.”

“He did!” Malfoy insisted.

“I’m going to have to give you boys detention for this badly played prank, and for lying,” Xander admonished, hiding a smirk.

“When my father hears about this you’ll be sorry, muggle trash,” Draco snapped, his anger getting the best of him. Who did this man think he was to talk to him in such a way? He had no authority over the students. Draco was convinced that this man was a muggle; he didn’t even carry a wand. He was sure what had happened at the Quidditch game was all in his head. No one could fly unassisted. If his father couldn’t, then this man couldn’t either.

“That’s another week added. Do you want more?”

Malfoy just snarled and stomped off, his goons following.

“Mr. Harris, can I go in now?” a voice from behind Xander asked, making him turn around and see a young boy doing the potty dance.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, sure, sorry,” Xander stuttered, and moved out of the way. After hearing the boy’s relieved moan, he added a silence spell on the door. Only if someone was in trouble would anyone hear what was happening in that room. He went about doing the same to the other bathrooms on the train, and then went to find Harry. “So, Harry, what made you put Malfoy and his goons in the bathroom?” Xander asked tiredly as he settled next to the kids.

“With all the shi--” “--Language, Harry,” Hermione gasped--” “coming from his mouth, I figured that he needed the loo,” Harry explained simply.

“Well that explains it, but do me a favor, please, and try not to put me in another position that I need to lie my way out of,” Xander requested quite reasonably.

“Sorry,” Harry said sheepishly, running his hand through his hair. “I’ll try, but that bast--I mean, prat--makes me so mad sometimes.”

“He did call Hermione a mudblood,” Neville inputted. He hated that term as much as Harry did. Hermione hadn’t known what it had meant until they had told her. Harry only knew because Dora had told him.

“A what, now?” Xander asked, thinking he might could make out what it meant in context, but wanting verification.

“It means dirty blood. They call muggleborns that,” Neville offered, shooting an apologetic look to his female friend.

“Well, it’s a stupid word. Blood can’t be dirty. There’s a built-in cleaning system, called antibodies. So, I’m sure mud wouldn’t last,” the wolf-eyed man stated.

“I’m not sure that’s how it works, but thanks for the effort,” Hermione said, smiling at the man she still saw as a hero.

“You’re welcome. I’ve seen many types of blood, but I’ve never seen any made of mud, so rest easy. Those morons don’t know what they’re talking about,” Xander said, leaning back and closing his eyes. It had been a long, emotion-filled morning. Holding one’s anger in is tiring. He was going to take a short nap. Surely, the train would be all right while he slept.

The rest of the train ride _was_ uneventful. Xander had a nice nap and woke when it was time to disembark. The kids didn’t follow any orderly pattern that he could see, and he made a mental note to change that as well. His head was getting fuzzy with all the things he felt needed to be changed. Perhaps he needed to keep a diary, or something.

The Return Feast went off without a hitch, and Dumbledore’s presence was well received. There was one thing that they could all agree upon, and that was that the old man was well loved. Classes resumed and life at Hogwarts moved on.

Every month, Xander and Harry went to the meeting with the social worker from the Department of Health and Social Care. So far, so good. The woman they met with was nice, and she seemed to think that Xander hung the moon. Anyone who rescued and took on an abused child was a hero in her book. She had no issues with them, and said that if they continued as they were, then the adoption would go through without a problem. At first, Dumbledore tried to protest the meetings, but he was soon dissuaded from interfering. In other words, Joyce threatened to boot him again. Because he felt he was needed to mold the children of tomorrow, he desisted.

For the kids, the school year was going on quite nicely. Harry and Hermione were doing well in classes. Heck, even Neville was pulling ahead now that his confidence was skyrocketing. Xander would take him aside once a week to work with him. He even snuck the boy to Diagon Alley and got him a new wand, just so he could have one all his own to use. Like Harry, his wandless spells were a bit overpowered. He needed the good focus to mute them down. They were worried that they’d burn his father’s wand out since it didn’t match. Xander barely escaped, as Ollivander kept putting wands in his hand. He grabbed Neville and they ran as soon as he could.

The main thing the three children worked on was control. It would be easy to take what Xander had taught them and use it in a classroom setting, but they were all firmly warned not to do that. Threats of scrubbing loos with toothbrushes and no magic ensured their good behavior.

The group didn’t know how they did it, but somehow it was kept a secret that the three first-years were learning the new magic from the ex-demon hunter. At least, that’s what they thought, since they weren’t being hounded to teach anyone anything. Rumor had it, the Quidditch match flying was a fluke. No one wanted to believe a child of eleven could do more powerful magic than they could themselves.

Xander kept his own abilities on the downlow, too. He didn’t want to have to deal with the likes of Dumbledore. They did practice a lot in the ‘house’ with McGonagall and Tonks, and the kids were growing by leaps and bounds, both magically and mentally. Harry was not as skittish, Neville was far braver, and Hermione was not as prone to answer all questions asked. 

Poppy made sure to visit daily, just in case anyone else was blinded or whatnot. There was one funny incident where Harry accidentally changed Xander’s voice to that of a high-pitched helium tone. The poor man spent the entire day sounding like Mickey Mouse. Needless to say, he avoided encountering anyone that day. How would it look if the Head of Security sounded like a demented preteen girl?

The new classes were a hit, and essays were much easier to read for the teachers and easier to write for the students. Not that many were assigned. The professors had taken what Xander had said to heart, and only assigned essays over the weekend, or during the week for those who needed a better grasp on the theory. This had the strange side-effect of many more clubs popping up. They were for the oddest things, like magical bugs in England, dresses through the ages, sightings of the Quibbler, and Ron started one for fans of the Chudley Cannons. He had five members. The teachers were just glad that the students had found something ‘constructive’ to do.

Basic understanding of the written word was emphasized. The adults wanted to make sure that the students understood what their textbooks were trying to tell them. They did discover a few students with learning disabilities, and Xander was ‘volunteered’ to go get literature from the non-magical world on how to deal with it. The children and teens that were affected were much happier. The goblins, on the other hand, warned Xander that they did not want to stay on teaching after this year was over. Dumbledore had found them all lacking, for some reason or another, except the Accounting teacher. No one could refute the goblin’s knowledge of math. That was okay, because Xander had a plan.

Even the well-off purebloods were content with the classes. They were learning a lot on balancing their fortunes, handling the money they would inherit, and corresponding with businesses. For that, they put up with the goblins teaching them.

During all this, Dumbledore mostly attended to his duties, barring his shots at keeping Harry in the castle, and he had no problem taking the credit for what was happening. He had sent letters to the student’s homes, outlining the classes and how they would help their heirs in the future. He didn’t outright claim the glory, it was more like he omitted the truth on who reinstated the classes. Xander, Joyce, and Minerva didn’t care, as long as the students were learning.

It was about the middle of the school year that Harry heard something in his spying. Since he still had his stash of House robes, he had morphed into a third year Ravenclaw who was on the short side and in the library at that time, and was sitting in their common room. He noted a large group in the corner, and upon further inspection, he found out that those kids were going to confront _him_. They wanted to know what he had done with all the letters and presents they had sent over the years. From what he had heard, they were very upset that he never wrote them back, and he, Harry, seemed to be so stuck up that he didn’t even acknowledge them in the hall. There was even talk about bringing the other Houses into the deal. He left, morphed back, and hurried to his ‘house’, shouting for Xander.

“What’s up, kiddo?” the man asked as he met him at the door. He had no idea what had Harry so upset, but he’d do his best to fix it.

“I was… using my Meta…morphmagus… ability to spy on… a group of Ravenclaws... just… like you and Dora taught me. And I heard… they were getting together with… a bunch of others… to confront me,” the breathless boy said as he bent over, hands on knees, to catch said breath. He really needed to start working in Xander’s gym. He was told he could start during the summer, since Xander was setting one up in the house that he had purchased.

“Really? About what?” Xander asked, leading his charge into the living room, where Joyce and Minerva were sitting. He settled him on the couch and conjured him a glass of water.

Harry took a long drink, set the glass on the table, and looked mournfully at the adults. “They want to know what happened to all the letters and stuff they sent me. They were pretty upset that I never got back to them. But, Xander, I never received _any_ post. Not until my Hogwarts letter. I don’t know what to tell them,” he said, starting to panic. While he was doing much better at moving around the school without being skittish, he still didn’t take confrontation very well. Ron had finally backed off, so they were talking again. Though, they would never be the friends they had been before. Weirdly, it was Percy Weasley who volunteered to shadow the group of first years. He said it was his duty as a prefect, but Harry suspected it was more that the teen wanted to be closer to Xander. He wasn’t far off.

“Minnie, do you know what he’s talking about?” Xander inquired, turning to the Deputy Headmistress.

“I have a general idea, but no, I don’t know what happened to all the post,” she answered, thinking hard. She would never have thought that Albus would steal the boy’s letters and gifts, but there was a good reason that she could think of. The Dursley’s would have had fits over all the owls. Still, to just keep it from Harry? Well, she’d see what that was about.

“I think I know,” Joyce offered, her face taking on a bitter twist. “Dumbledore would hide a lot of mail in a vacant room in the castle. Once the pile was big enough, he would go note down the addresses and then burn it. I had, and still have, the house elves replacing it with blank parchment and forged envelopes, the gifts with empty boxes. It’s in a different part of the castle.” She sighed, thinking along the same lines as Minerva. “Since you received all your Christmas gifts, I had forgotten all about it. But, if you want, I’ll have it brought to you. Feasibly, bits at a time. That way you can go through it and answer accordingly. Of course, I want either Xander or Professor McGonagall there when you do. I don’t want any nasty surprises to hurt you.”

“That was pretty clever of you, Joyce,” Xander said with a winning smile to take the bite out of his words.

“Hush, you. I know what I’m about. Anyway, Harry, we can start tonight. I warn you, it’s going to take months to go through it all. Maybe you can have Hermione and Neville help you. Even Ron, if you want. Xander and I will go and tell the students what happened, and Minerva can stay here,” Joyce said fondly.

The two adults nodded in agreement at the plan, and that’s exactly what they did. McGonagall helped the children sort the mail, and she even helped write up some form letters to send to the correspondents explaining what had happened, why it had taken so long to respond, and to ask not to send anything in the future. She also said it might be a good idea to put an article in the Daily Prophet. They drafted that and settled in for a long night of post-sorting. All of the Weasleys in the castle were helping, though they were being paid. Percy had protested, but Xander and Harry wouldn’t let them help without some form of compensation. Ron was just glad he would have a bit of dosh to spend this summer. The twins were happy to add to their savings. Neville said that if they tried to pay him, he’d give them a what for. Xander was so proud.

After dinner, Xander got up to stand in front of the students just before afters. “So,” he said loudly, getting everyone’s attention, “I heard a rumor today that many of you want to confront Harry. I can tell ya right now, that would be a _very_ bad idea. You, Drake, what is going on in your House? That’s where the rumor started from,” he stated, pointing to a seventh-year Ravenclaw prefect.

The boy in question stood reluctantly and said, “I’m not completely sure, but I did hear the same rumor as you. From what I gathered, some of my housemates think Harry has been skiving his ‘duties,’ as it were. He never replied to any post sent to him, and they feel that he’s rebuffing them. As an idol and a public figure, they feel they have the right to know all about him,” Drake said, glaring at the main conspirator.

Xander noted the glare and pointed to the boy. “What gives you the right to pry into Harry’s life?” he inquired with a glare all his own.

“We wrote to him. Sent him letters and gifts. He ignored us,” was the mulish reply.

“Did you ever think there may be a reason for that?” was Xander’s rebuttal.

“What reason could there be? Everyone knows he’s a spoiled rich kid,” the still-unnamed boy said defensively.

“Where did you get that from?” Xander was shocked, everything he knew about Harry never suggested that others thought he was anything but an abused child.

“The books,” the boy said condescendingly, as if it were obvious.

“The what, now? I don’t know of any books that say that,” the wolf-eyed man said with a great deal of confusion.

“Xander, he’s talking about the children’s adventure books,” Joyce added, looking down her nose at the fifth-year Ravenclaw. “There are fantasy novels about the life Harry was supposed to lead, but I never thought anyone would take them seriously. You need to look into that,” she added.

“Oh, I’ll get right on it. You can believe that,” he vowed, then turned back to the student body. “Okay, first off, those stories can’t be true. And I will be finding out who wrote them, and Harry will be getting his due. Because I know for a fact that he was not spoiled. I won’t tell you his story, but you can take my word for it that the people who raised him will be jailed for their treatment of him,” Xander replied, shaking his head at the misinformation spread to the whole the public. “Second off, he never -- and I do mean _never_ \-- received any mail while he was growing up. The only mail he ever received was his acceptance letter. You can blame that on Headmaster Dumbledore, but we’re going to give him a chance to explain his actions.” With that, the entire hall turned to face the Headmaster.

“As Mr. Harris said, Harry’s caregivers were not kind. I had not realized how much so until recently. Nevertheless, can you imagine how they would have reacted to a large parliament of owls converging upon their home on a daily basis? They are muggles, so it would have been close to breaking the Statute of Secrecy. I have been screening his post and keeping record of it. When he is older, I will give him that record so that he may reply thusly,” the old man stated calmly. In his eyes, he did no wrong. And judging from the reaction of many of the students, they felt the same. When he had talked to the Dursleys after the court hearing, he recoiled at the hatred they held for his kind. Still, he felt that even with a protector like Mr. Harris, Harry should go back to reinforce the wards. Perhaps they could accommodate the man as well. It was something to think about. He didn’t realize that all his planning was for naught. The Dursleys were enjoying the comfort of the Queen’s prison. They would be there for years. Dudley was in the system now, and he would not surface until his parents did. Then they would all disappear, just like magic.

“I will see to it personally that Harry replies to everyone he can. I want you to know that what you were planning would have seen many of you in detention, or worse. Bullying is not allowed in this school while I am the Head of Security. You’d better remember that,” Xander stated firmly and then took his seat.

“Thank you for that, Mr. Harris. I’m glad that this was nipped in the bud. Now, students, enjoy your dessert,” Dumbledore said, waving his hands in a grandiose manner, making the sugary confections appear. Inside, he was silently fuming that this upstart was slowly taking over his school. Still, the man had a point, and the last thing Harry needed was to be confronted by an angry mob. At least, not this year. Perchance when he had matured a bit, it would be time. He needed to see how the young man would react to the community vilifying him. He knew from experience that the public was fickle with their heroes. Harry needed to be able to handle such ridicule.

And with that, the school went on. Post was answered, classes were tended, homework was done, clubs were attended, and playing commenced. Harry was getting a much better reception from his fellow students now that he had answered all the mail. They were now treating him like any other student. The public would more than likely react the same since they had put the article in the paper. Harry was just glad that the disappointed look seem to vanish from most of his peers’ eyes. He had always felt that he just didn’t measure up. Now that he knew why, he had drafted another article stating that the storybooks were just that: stories. Xander was working on remuneration. With the goblins on his side, he was very hopeful. 

It was toward the end of the year when Harry and Hermione found out that Hagrid had obtained a dragon’s egg. They, of course, went straight to Xander.

“Oh, for the love of Twinkies. Come on,” the beleaguered man said as he stomped out of the room.

“Are you going to get him in trouble?” Harry fretted when he saw they were headed to the Headmaster’s office. He still didn’t like Dumbledore much, but unless he screwed up, he was still in charge.

“Nay, I can take care of it. But I’ll need Dumbledore’s permission to do what I want, and I hate asking permission,” Xander complained as they reached their destination. He just waved the gargoyles away and they quickly stepped aside. When the group got to the office, the perturbed professor sat behind his desk. “Dumbledore, Hagrid has done something stupid. I need your permission to create a pen to raise a dragon.”

“Why ever do you need my permission? I thought you were the owner of the school,” Albus asked, looking over his half-moon glasses. He felt shunted to the side on many issues. Even though quite a few changes were for the better, he held little power to alter them. At least, not while he was on this ‘probation’. When it was over, he would gain control again. He still had Severus hidden in his home. The dour man was not a good house guest. Sometimes, he wondered if it were worth it to put up with the steady demands the younger man made. It was not like he was made of money. Still, Severus had a point. It was his fault that Snape was in the dire straits he was.

“Yeah, but if you sign off on it as Chief Warlock, then I won’t have to deal with the bureaucrats,” was the tired answer. The year had been going so well these last few months. Now, he didn’t know how having a dragon on the premises would affect everything.

“If Hagrid has acquired a dragon, as your question might suggest, then should we not take it to a preserve?”

“I was thinking of training it, or having the goblins train it, for an extra security measure,” Xander said, perking up a bit, as if the thought just came to him. It would be a great boon to have the large reptile guard the castle if they could train it up right. “Isn’t the motto of this school, ‘Don’t Tickle a Sleeping Dragon’? I mean, I’m just making it true.”

“Ah, I see. Very well, I will sign off on it, as you say,” the old man stated, pulling the required contract out of his desk. It was much the same one that he had used to get Fluffy on the grounds. Hagrid being gamekeeper had facilitated a great need to have such documents on hand.

“I appreciate that,” Xander said truthfully. He could have just hidden the creature in the forest, but someone, sometime, would have found it and probably killed it. This way they had the paperwork to keep it and train it. He conjured a piece of paper and wrote a quick note to one of the goblins still on staff. It asked for a dragon trainer to come to the castle. They would work with Kettleburn to keep the dragon contained. He would stipulate that the dragon was not to be tortured, but hopefully, since it would be a newborn, they could work with it more easily. He folded the paper into an airplane and sent it out the window. It would go where he needed it to.

With all the paperwork done and signed, the two adults and two kids went to see Hagrid.

“So, Hagrid, you know it’s illegal to raise dragons without the proper parchments, right?” Xander asked as he moved into the sweltering hut.

“My dear man, wherever did you get that egg?” Dumbledore asked as he applied a cooling charm to himself and the children. He leaned toward the fire to look at the egg in question. It looked to be a Norwegian Ridgeback. One of the more dangerous of the creatures.

Xander, upon seeing the cooling charm, waved his hand and created a personal air conditioner. Then he set up everyone in the hut with one. Hagrid sighed with relief.

“Dumbledore, sir, I, er, won it in a poker game, at ‘og’s ‘ead,” Hagrid answered his boss’s question first.

“Hagrid, I can legally take that egg, as King of the Goblins, and have it raised here at Hogwarts. That way you can still see it grow up. But, if _you’re_ caught with it, it’s jail time for you,” Xander tried again, handing the paperwork over to the giant.

“You’ll let me name it?” the half-giant asked, worried that his precious baby wouldn’t know him. He read over the contract and nodded. It was a good deal. Xander would own the dragon, but he would have a say in how it was raised.

“Sure, why not. It’s not like I’m any good at naming things.” He cringed at some of the names he and Buffy had come up with for some of the demons they had fought. In his defense, some of those names were unpronounceable to the human tongue. Unless you were Giles or Wesley. Or Spike and Angel. Okay, so he and Buffy were lazy.

“We can help too,” Harry offered, glad that his friend wouldn’t be in trouble.

“Well, a’ righ’ den. We ‘ave a deal,” Hagrid said, signing the contract and taking Xander’s hand, almost dislocating the man’s shoulder by shaking it so hard.

A large stone pen was erected in the back of the keep, toward the Forbidden Forest. It sat just within the borders and was sunk three and a half meters in the ground. It was surrounded by large stone walls about six meters high except for the stone gate, which worked on an outside pulley system. It was fifteen meters in circumference. There was a free-standing, thick cave molded out of lava rock, so the dragon would have a place to nest.

The Care of Magical Creatures class took on a whole different meaning when Norberta was hatched. Hagrid tried to name the female dragon Norbert, but the goblins corrected him on the creature’s sex. Now the school had XXXXX and XXX magical creatures, the latter being Fluffy, and the students were of two minds about it. Some, like the Weasley twins, were ecstatic. Others, like Percy, were nervous. Sure, the baby dragon was harmless _now_ , but it _would_ grow.

Fluffy decided that Norberta needed a father figure and could be seen in the pen most days, tussling and playing with the baby dragon. On many occasions the poor dog needed his fur regrown due to the haphazard flames of his adopted daughter. However, because of their playing, Norberta was learning when not to spout her flames.

Life went on, and Norberta was widely accepted over time.

It was the last week of the year, and the end of the year tests had just finished. Xander was once again called away to help find out what had been killing the unicorns all year. They had looked before, but had found nothing. He and Hagrid were in the forest looking for clues when they came across a hurt mare.

“She’s ‘urt real bad,” Hagrid said with tears in his eyes as he kneeled next to the bleeding unicorn.

“Can you help her?” Xander asked, petting Fang with one hand and Fluffy with the other -- making sure to get all three heads -- to keep them away from the hurt animal. The two dogs had taken a liking to Xander since he had completed his Animagus form. They knew an alpha when they smelled one, and the Conri was a great alpha. Sometimes, when he was bored, he and the dogs would run around the forest.

“Step away from the unicorn,” a voice to their right said.

“Why? Hagrid can stop the bleeding,” the wolf-eyed man asked, confused as to why the… being would not want them to save the mare. Surely, she was important to the herd.

“She is beyond saving,” the centaur stated morosely as it stepped out of the tree line, bow drawn and aimed at Xander.

“No!” Hagrid yelled, startling the injured animal. He petted her neck to calm her, whispering softly in her ear. “I ken save her,” he insisted softly, pulling ointments and bandages from his pockets. He worked feverishly, applying everything he thought would help. Xander wanted to give him a hand, but he knew from experience that he would just agitate the poor thing. So he silently sent some soothing magic to hold the unicorn to this side of the living while the gentle giant continued to work on her. It took a half an hour of sending magic and applying balms and plasters, but the combination worked, and soon the unicorn was on its feet. It wasn’t healed completely, but it wasn’t knocking on Death’s door, either. The entire time they were working, the centaurs surrounded them with their bows ready.

“Tha’s the bes’ I ken do,” Hagrid stated tiredly.

“We will bring her to our healer. You have done well, Hagrid. Who might you be, stranger?” the largest centaur inquired, motioning another centaur forward to take the unicorn to the village.

“Me? I’m just Xander,” the wolf-eyed man said, a bit drained himself. He had never sent magic like that before, and it was exhausting to do. He’d have to figure out a better way to help if there was a next time.

“A human,” spat a dark-haired centaur.

“Yeah, one that just helped heal a unicorn,” Xander said angrily. He knew that some centaurs hated humans, which was why he generally stayed away from them. When he and the dogs went running, they mostly chased the large spiders. Well, Fluffy ate them, but they didn’t let Hagrid know. Still, the colony was moving further and further away from the school as the nest got smaller and smaller. “I got a question, too. Do you know who did this?” he asked, changing the subject.

“No. We’ve been hunting them since the first unicorn died, however, they are very elusive,” the leader said with a great deal of scorn.

“Do you mind if me and the dogs try and pick up the scent?” Xander asked, not wanting to get fired on if he changed.

“How would a human pick up a trail that we could not?” the dark-haired one asked with disdain.

“I can turn into a canine,” was the elusive answer. Sure, wolves were canines. Big honking canines, but canines nevertheless.

“I am the leader of this herd, Magorian. I give you my permission to hunt these woods for the cursed being that killed the unicorns,” the largest centaur stated, wanting to see just what type of dog this man was.

“Yeah, thanks,” Xander said, and he turned into his Conri form and started sniffing around. He picked up the scent of unicorn blood and noted it was headed straight the castle. “Hagrid,” he said, still in his wolf form, and startling the centaurs, “I’m headed back to the castle. The big bad is there. Bring Fluffy and Fang as fast as you can.” With that, he disappeared.

“I be’er git goin’. Xander isn’ one to be kep’ waitin’,” Hagrid said to the centaurs and then started running. For a big man, he moved quickly. The dogs ran by his side, and soon the castle came into view. He just hoped he wasn’t too late.  



	12. They Want To Know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, here’s the next chapter. The first part is a bit gory.
> 
> DaughterOfIris23 and Dashti-the-dramione-shipper are the betas for this chapter.

Harry, Hermione, and Neville were walking towards the Great Hall when suddenly Harry was hit with a Stunning Spell, grabbed from behind by his robes, and lifted over the shoulder of Professor Quirrell. The other two first-years screamed and yelled at the professor to let their friend go, grabbing Harry’s feet and trying to pull him off the obviously crazed man. Other nearby students drew their wands to help the first-years. Quirrell then stunned the other two kids, erected a strong barrier, and ran down the hall. Some tried to give chase, but the barrier was too strong. A few went to get the professors and Mr. Harris.

When Harry woke again, he was tied with a rope around his upper body and arms, and everything was a bit blurry. His glasses had fallen off. He didn’t know who had taken him, or why. He could hear a man muttering about a stone, but he couldn’t see him. There was a blur he thought might be the teacher-turned-traitor moving back and forth in front of him, muttering wildly about the stone being gone, the traps being dismantled, and other things Harry had no clue about. He kept lamenting about a whole year wasted, unicorn’s blood, and how he was cursed for nothing.

“Quirrell, the boy is awake,” hissed a voice that seemed to resound throughout the room. 

“Potter, tell me where the stone is. The protections are gone, and I know your _bodyguard_ has something to do with it. He must have told you,” a voice that Harry recognized as Quirrell’s demanded without a single stutter. The only people who knew the traps were gone were the Headmaster, McGonagall, Joyce, and Xander. The corridor had an age line on it. No one under the age of 20 could cross it. The teachers still patrolled, and they thought were still protecting the stone.

The reason for this was that the trap had already been laid and they wanted to see who would be caught. Never had they thought that it was Voldyshorts, or that he was in the school. It had never crossed anyone’s mind that he would bring a child with him. How he got Harry across the age line, only he knew.

Quirrell realized a few weeks ago that the Cerberus was gone when he’d seen him with the dragon. He then set out to make plans.

“Um, I don’t know what you’re talking about. What stone?” the poor boy said, quivering with fear. For all Xander was teaching him, he still reacted adversely when adults made demands. Years of abuse from the Dursleys had made him fearful of punishment. He slowly wiggled his hands to see if he could get free and retrieve his invisibility cloak from his pocketspace. Xander had set it up so he could store his precious items and use them in emergencies such as this. His fingers moved, but the ropes just tightened. Magical ropes then. He’d have to think of something quickly; he didn’t want to die here.

“Don’t give me that, boy. I know that Harris has let you in on many of his secrets,” the angry professor growled, grabbing the tied-up child and shaking him.

“Fool, let me speak to him,” the hissing voice said.

“Are you su--?” was all Quirrell got out before he dropped Harry and clutched at his head in pain.

“Do not question me,” was the venomous reply.

“I’m sorry, Master, forgive me,” the professor pleaded, tears of pain running down his face as he quickly unwrapped his turban. When he turned, Harry saw a face on the back of his head. Well, he thought it was a face, since he still couldn’t see. However, the bottom half moved like a mouth, so he figured he was right.

“Harry Potter, do you see what you have reduced me to? A parasite that must survive from the lives of others. I will regain my body one day and I will have my revenge,” the face said menacingly.

“Voldyshorts?” Harry asked incredulously, using the name Xander called the… man.

“Do not call me that insipid name,” Voldemort said, incensed, making Quirrell turn and fire a pain spell at the tied-up boy.

Harry screamed. Nothing the Dursleys had ever done to him had prepared him for the pain he felt now. Every nerve of his body was on fire. Then, just as quickly as it had started, it stopped. He lay shaking on the floor, yelling in his head for Xander.

“Tell me Harris’s secrets, boy, or I’ll make the next one last longer,” the vile man threatened.

“I…I... don--don’t know any,” the hurting child lied. He wasn’t going to tell the person anything. He’d die first.

“You lie.” The wand turned on Harry again. Pain-filled cries filled the air once more.

Harry could feel nothing but pain. He wanted so bad to do something, but the agony he was in made it so he could not think. In his mind he continued to call for Xander to come and end the pain. Sending out mental signals to his foster--soon to be adoptive--father. The love that he realized he felt, for the first time in his life, overcame some of the pain. He breathed a bit easier, and with that thought the ropes fell away, which did not help his thrashing at all. He raised a shaky hand and cast the blinding Lumos as he writhed on the ground. The spell stopped, but his body still shook with painful tremors and all he could do was lie on the floor and whimper.

That’s when, out of nowhere, Xander appeared at the end of the chamber.

Taking in the situation quickly, the blinded man, his son crying, Xander pulled his 12-gauge shotgun, pumped and fired. The noise in the small room was deafening. One side of Quirrell’s head flew apart in a great mass of blood and gore. The coppery smell of blood filled the air. As the body fell, a black smoky-like spirit rose from it, screaming. When shields were erected over both Xander and Harry, the angered spirit flew through the wall, all the while vowing revenge. Xander dropped the shields and put his gun away as he ran to his son, cradling him in his arms. This seemed to hurt Harry, so he gently laid him back down.

“Harry,” he said softly, frustrated that he couldn’t take his foster son in his arms and reassure him, “I’m going to get you out of here. Hold on, okay?”

“It hurts, Xander,” Harry said softly, trying to hold back his tears, trying to be brave. They leaked anyway, running down the side of his face and wetting the stone floor below.

“I know, Harry. You were very brave. I’m going to take you to Poppy. Do you know what he hit you with?” the distraught man asked, trying not to jostle the boy as he attempted to give comfort. It appeared that everywhere he touched made the pain worse. Even Harry’s hair.

“I…it was a p…pain spell. I…I’ve never f…felt anyth…anything like it,” Harry stuttered out. Then he realized that the pain had dissipated some, and he sighed with relief and promptly passed out. Xander was here. He was safe.

Xander levitated his still shaking son, vanished, and reappeared in the Hospital Wing.

“Poppy!” he yelled, bringing the matron running. He eased Harry on the nearest bed, and Harry grimaced at the contact even in his unconscious state.

“Do you know what he was cursed with?” Madame Pomfrey asked upon seeing the prone figure. She waved her wand to diagnose the boy, but firsthand accounts always made it faster.

“No, but it caused a lot of pain. And I mean a _lot_ of pain. I’ve never seen anyone in that much agony,” Xander explained, stroking Harry’s hair. And that was saying something. He had seen people tortured by ‘gods’ and other supernatural beings, but he had never seen anything like he just witnessed.

“Oh, the poor lad, it must have been the Cruciatus Curse,” she sighed, waving her wand to make Harry more comfortable. The bed grew softer, akin to a mattress of air, the pillows fluffed, and the blanket became lighter. There was little else she could do to help him. He would recover on his own, but it would take time. She held hope that he was only held for a short period of time. “It’s a pain curse. I’ve heard it described as thousands of white-hot knives being plunged into the body at the same time. Since there is no real physical damage, we don’t have a cure. We think it effects the pain receptors, making them send out signals that the body is in pain. If used long enough, it causes such severe mental trauma that the person goes into a catatonic state. It has been studied, but research has stalled since the end of the war. Politics, you know. All I can do is make him comfortable. He will recover on his own.”

“I’m going to kill that ‘Dark Lord.’ The last thing he sees on this earth will be my face,” Xander vowed, meaning every single word. He was determined to protect his child. He conjured a chair and sat vigil.

Harry woke the next morning. Xander was sitting at his side. He looked like he had slept in his clothes, and there was a five o’clock shadow on his jaw. He must have been here all night. Harry smiled softly.

“How did you find me?” the tired boy asked when he saw that his father was awake. He looked over to find his glasses, but they weren’t in sight.

“I heard your call,” Xander answered, giving him a warm smile. He didn’t let him know that he had felt his pain, even if it was a muted version.

“Really? I need to study that. If I can mentally talk to people that would be awesome,” Harry enthused from his prone position. Then he frowned. “Do you know where my glasses are?” he asked, not liking that everything was a blur.

“I didn’t see them anywhere, but we’ll get you new ones. Or contacts. I don’t like that you were put at the disadvantage like that. I’ll ask Poppy if there are any magical ones,” Xander said, trying to be reassuring.

“Okay. How long do I have to stay here?” he asked, struggling to sit, but giving it up as a lost cause. His body was still shaking, and he couldn’t make his back move the way he needed it to.

“Not long. Poppy said there wasn’t much she could do. Your shaking will go away on its own in about a day, so don’t worry about that,” came the reassuring response.

“Good. Hey, are Hermione and Neville okay?” Harry inquired anxiously.

“Yeah, they were only hit with a stunner. Considering who cast it, they got off lightly,” Xander said, gently stroking the boy’s hair, noting that it didn’t seem to cause him any pain now.

“Good.” And then the room fell into silence until Xander spoke once again.

“Harry, I know you don’t want to hear this right now, but we’ve gotta talk to the cops. I killed a man, so I needed to report it. I Floo-called them yesterday and they came and looked at the scene, but someone will come talk to us today. So, if you want, we can give them your memories, or you can tell them what happened,” Xander explained. He hoped Harry went for the latter. It would do him good to tell someone, even if it was only the police.

“Do I have to talk about it?” the shy boy asked, not really wanting to relive the night before.

“No, but take it from your old man, it helps,” Xander replied gently. He knew that to be true. Giles made them recount all their missions. It did help make it seem less real. Like it had happened to someone else. Well, it did for him and Buffy. Willow never got over some of the nastier things. She held onto them like a dog with a bone. It was one of the many reasons why she had tried to destroy the earth. Too much pain, she had said. He really hoped talking about it did for Harry what it did for him.

“Okay, I’ll try,” Harry said softly. He wanted to do all he could to help catch Voldyshorts.

“Thatta boy.”

Half an hour later, Dumbledore led someone into the room. “I am sure we can do this quietly,” he was saying to the woman.

She was middle-aged, with greying, dark hair. A sturdy woman, who wore a monocle on her left eye. She looked like she didn’t take crap from anyone. “We will do what is necessary,” she countered. She was still majorly pissed that this man had gotten Snape off, making two of her Aurors look incompetent, when she knew for a fact the Potions Master was as guilty as sin.

“Very well,” the old man sighed, bring her to Harry and Xander. “Mr. Potter, Mr. Harris, this is Amelia Bones. She is the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.”

“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am,” the ever-polite Harry stated. He squinted his eyes to see if he recognized her, but no, he had never met this woman from what he could tell.

“Yeah, nice to meet cha,” Xander said, looking her over to see what she was made of. He liked what he saw.

“And you both, as well. Let’s get started. Mr. Potter, can you tell me what happened?” she asked kindly, taking a seat on the bed next to the boy and pulling out a parchment notebook and a never-ending-ink quill.

“I’m not really sure. I know I was walking to the Great Hall for lunch with my friends, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom. I was hit from behind and woke tied up without my glasses. I know that it was Professor Quirrell, and that he had Voldemort sticking out of the back of his head. He kept muttering about a stone, traps, unicorns, and wasting the year. But I don’t know what he was talking about. Then Voldyshorts hit me with a spell that made me feel a lot of pain. He wanted to know something that I wouldn’t tell him, and so he hit me again. It hurt really bad,” Harry described his short encounter with the Dark Lord.

“What did he want to know?” she asked jotting it all down.

“I can’t tell you, ma’am. I made a vow,” he said shyly. It wasn’t a real magical vow, more like one the non-magicals would make. But Xander had said to say that if anyone asked.

“Well, it can’t be helped then,” Bones said, fuming inside that someone would place a vow on a child.

“I know what it is, and I can tell you in private,” Xander said, giving Harry a brilliant smile. He did well.

“Very well. Mr. Harris, can you tell me what happened after that?” she inquired, quill poised to take notes.

“I popped in, saw that Harry was in pain and that he had blinded Quirrell, so I shot Quirrell. He hurt Harry,” were the succinct answers, accompanied with a shrug.

“Shot him with what?” the confused woman asked. The wounds on the deceased didn’t indicate an arrow.

“A gun,” Xander answered simply.

“Oh,” she said. While she had heard of guns, she had never witnessed firsthand what they could do. Seeing the remains of Quirrell, she now knew, and she was going to stress to her Aurors not to take them lightly anymore. “May I see it?”

“Sure.” He reached behind him, pulling out the long gun.

“What type of gun is this?” Bones wondered aloud. She had only ever seen small handguns.

“It’s a 12-gauge shotgun. I wanted to make sure the bastard died,” Xander said with a shrug. He then put the gun away, glad the pocketspace cleaned everything. He hadn’t even thought about it last night. He had been too worried about his son.

“I see. I noticed that the man’s hands are gone. Do you know what happened to them?” Amelia asked, shaking her head and making a mental note to research all muggle firearms. She didn’t realize that it would take quite a while to read them all.

“Goblin trophies,” Xander answered with a vicious grin. He liked that aspect of goblin victories. Since the head was mostly gone, the hands that hurt his child would work just as well. He had removed them when Harry was asleep, right before he called the cops. A quick pop down, a severing charm and presto… trophy. He had only been gone a few seconds.

“So, the rumors that you are now the Goblin King are true?” she asked. She had heard and dismissed these rumors, even if they did come from one of her Aurors. If it was so easy to rule the goblins, why had no one done so before? Why had they had so many wars? It didn’t make sense to her. There had been references that said that Salazar Slytherin had done so, but it was ruled as dark magic.

“Yep,” was all the answer she got.

“I see,” she said again. She seemed to be saying that a lot, but these two were confusing her.

“Harry,” started Dumbledore, only to quickly change it to “Mr. Potter” when Xander glared at him, “I was wondering if Voldemort said anything else?” He wanted to know everything Tom had said. It might be important in the future.

“Not really,” Harry responded, rubbing his nose with a shaky finger, thinking hard. “I mean, he did mention that he was going to get a body.”

That made Amelia gasp. She had ignored the mentions of Voldemort before, thinking they were the imagination of a frightened child, but she was going to have to start paying attention to the rumors if so many of them were true. “A body?” she questioned aloud.

“Yeah, he said he was living as a parasite, though I’m not sure what that means. He didn’t look like a worm. He said he was living off the lives of others… oh, okay. Anyway, he said that he was going to get a body and get his revenge. Does he mean on me?” That question made him scared. He was in no shape to take on a paper bag, let alone a Dark Lord.

“Not if I can help it,” Xander snarled, grabbing Harry into a hug. He known Harry for less than a year, and already thought of the young boy as a son. He wasn’t going to let some namby-pamby Dork Lord take him from him. He had faced down pissed off slayers, vampires, ghosts, demons, gods, and the First Evil. Voldyshorts didn’t compare to any of them.

“I fear, you may have no choice, what with the prophecy,” Albus said, forgetting Amelia was not in the know.

“What prophecy?” she demanded.

“Oh dear,” Dumbledore said, bringing up his wand and pointing it at her head.

“No!!” Harry cried, putting out his hand and calling the wand to him. He didn’t know what the man was going to cast, but he wasn’t going to let the old man spell the nice woman.

“What do you think you are doing, Dumbledore?” Bones asked with righteous fury, quickly standing and pointing her wand directly at the old man.

“Forgive me, Amelia,” Albus said, shaken that the Death Stick was now in the hands of a child. “What you heard was a state secret. I was only doing my duty as Chief Warlock.”

“I see,” she muttered, lowering her wand, but keeping it ready. It _was_ in his remit to make sure state secrets didn’t come to light. If it _was_ a state secret. She couldn’t even check. If she didn’t have clearance, they wouldn’t allow her to find out. She quickly recited a vow to not tell about the prophecy, hoping the man would leave her mind alone.

“Mr. Potter, may I have my wand?” Dumbledore asked rather desperately.

“I can’t give it to you,” Harry said, trying to hand it over. “It won’t let go.”

“Oh dear,” mumbled Dumbledore.

“Harry, put it away for now. We’ll sort it out later,” Xander suggested, wondering how a wand could have control over Harry’s actions. He was going to have to research that.

“Okay, Xander,” Harry said, tucking the wand in his recently created pocketspace, making it look like he just put it under his pillow.

“I believe that is my wand,” protested Dumbledore.

“You heard him, it won’t let him give it away. Besides, don’t you guys have the rule of ‘to the victor go the spoils?’” Xander inquired unsympathetically. He wasn’t going to let the headmaster push Harry around.

“Yes, we do,” Bones intervened. She had no idea why the air was so tense around these three, but she had a job to do. “Let it go,” she told Albus.

Dumbledore sighed. He would have to figure out a way to get it back later. “Very well. I have duties I must attend to. Amelia, you know your way out.” And with that, the old man left, plotting his next move.

“Now, Mr. Harris, if we could go and discuss the secrets You-Know-Who wanted,” Amelia said to Xander, gesturing to the other side of the room.

“Sure, why not,” Xander said as he followed. He wanted her to think that he had kept more secrets from Harry. No one needed to know what Harry knew. “Call me Xander. Mr. Harris makes me feel like I’m about to be yelled at,” he offered, his mind shuddering at all the times he was yelled at when someone called him Mr. Harris. Principal Snyder was the worse. “I’ll be right over here, Harry,” he called over his shoulder.

The two adults went a short distance away, keeping Harry in sight. They put up a privacy charm and conjured chairs.

“What are these secrets?” Bones asked, not really expecting much.

“Well, there’s the fact that I can fly without a broom. Or hey, the fact that I can walk through walls. Or even the fact that I don’t use a wand. Take your pick,” the smug man replied.

“How did you accomplish these things?” Madam Bones inquired, completely flabbergasted.

“Magic goes wonky around me. I just use it to my advantage. It’s a secret though. Not even Dumbledore knows, and I’d like to keep it that way,” Xander stated firmly. He had learned the Obliviate from Minerva, but he really didn’t want to use it on the head cop.

Amelia quickly gave yet another vow. “Is there any chance you can teach these things to my Aurors? If not now, then in the future?” she asked. It would be a great boon for them. No criminal would hide away in secret rooms anymore. Broken brooms would no longer be a problem. The things they could do…

“Right now, we’re keeping it on the downlow. But, if my plans play out, then everyone will know. We’ve gotta set up safeguards and all that. Don’t want the criminals to do what we do,” Xander said, deflating her hopes.

“I see,” she sighed. “Well, I must be off. I want to say hello to my niece. If I have any questions, I will contact you,” she said, dismissing the privacy charm and dispelling the chairs. She made her way back to the bed and gathered up her supplies. “Mr. Potter, it was nice to meet you. I wish you a speedy recovery.”

“That wasn’t so bad,” Harry said with relief after she had gone. He thought it would be much harder.

“No, it wasn’t, but we are going to up your training. I’m going to get you in shape this summer, so be prepared to work hard.”

“I’m used to hard work,” the boy said, slightly miffed that his foster father thought he was lazy.

“Chores, even all the ones you did, are not the same as a good old-fashioned workout,” Xander chided.

“Whatever you say, Xander,” Harry said, rolling his eyes, showing that he was going to hit puberty soon.

“You’ll see,” the wolf-eyed man warned.

Poppy came to check on Harry and conjured him a pair of glasses that would last him the rest of the school year. The two males then spent the rest of the day making summer plans. The house Harry had liked had been purchased, and Emma was decorating it. She swore it was going to be manly, so they had to trust her. Harry was given the all-clear around dinner time, so they made their way to the Great Hall. When they got there a silence fell over the student body. Xander turned to Harry and put up a silencing bubble.

“Okay, Harry, we can do this one of two ways. You can tell them what happened or ignore it and live with the rumors that will spurt up,” the older man said quickly. They had learned after the First that you needed to get your story out, even if it was bending the truth until it squeaked.

Harry thought deeply about what Xander was saying. He remembered all the rumors about when he didn’t answer his mail. The misinformation that almost saw him mobbed. If he got it out of the way now, then perhaps that wouldn’t happen again.

“Okay,” he said shakenly. He trusted Xander.

“Good man,” Xander complimented, clapping him on the shoulder.

They made their way up to the front of the Hall and stood before the staff table.

“Okay, listen up,” Xander said, projecting his voice with his own charm. Anyone up by the Staff Table would be heard. “Harry is going to tell you what he remembers. If you don’t believe it, too bad. This is what he knows to be true. If you have questions, we’ll answer a few. Hermione, Neville, Hagrid, come up here and verify what you can,” Xander stated as he pointed to the three people.

They quickly made their way toward Harry and Xander.

“Mr. Harris, I must protest--” Dumbledore said, standing from his throne-like chair.

“Yeah, see, I’m Harry’s guardian, so you can’t protest this. It is for his safety,” the wolf-eyed man said firmly.

With nothing left to argue about that wouldn’t see him booted, Albus sat down. He frowned at what he thought might be something that would stroke Harry’s ego. That was the last thing he wanted.

Joyce and Minerva decided to stay silent and let only those that were there handle it. They did get up and stand behind Harry for support.

The five of them told everyone what had happened from their point of view, from the killing of the unicorns to Voldemort fleeing, and then opened the floor to questions.

“Were you scared?” asked a small first-year from Ravenclaw.

“Very,” Harry confirmed. That caused quite a few snickers, which were quickly quelled by Xander’s yellow-eyed glare.

“Yes, he was scared. You would be too. The important part is he did his best to get away. Remember, bravery is being courageous _despite_ fear,” the wolf-eyed man stated, then pointed to another child.

“The unicorn lived?” came the question from a fourth-year female Hufflepuff.

“She’s alrigh’,” Hagrid said, beaming at the girl.

“I don’t believe it was the Dark Lord. He would not fall to the likes of you,” Draco Malfoy stated, glaring at the group on the platform.

“Believe what you like and sit down. You know what happened ten years ago, quit being facetious,” Xander growled, twitching a finger making the boy sit with magic. He had the feeling this kid was going to be trouble all through Harry’s years here.

The ‘when my father, blah, blah, blah,’ refrain was heard and was promptly ignored.

“Can we see the gun?” ask a muggleborn boy from Gryffindor.

Xander pulled it out and raised it in the air. “This is as close as you’re getting to it,” he said, moving around a bit to show what it was. There was no way he was letting a bunch of kids get up close and personal with a gun. That way led to disaster.

The muggleborns in the Hall were quickly telling the disbelieving purebloods what it was and what it could do. It was too radical of a notion for them. However, many of them had heard the Aurors talking about what the body looked like, so there might be some truth in what they were hearing.

“He wants a body? Does that mean he’s not dead?” asked a seventh-year pureblood Slytherin. He didn’t want the Dark Lord to come back. The last war had seen his family fall to poverty, and it was only now that they were climbing back up the social ladder.

“No, he’s not dead,” Xander confirmed. “However, I will do my best to make sure he never comes back,” he vowed loudly, over the murmuring.

A lot of the kids relaxed. Mr. Harris had made quite an impact on the student body. His killing of the troll and Quirrell made them believe he would do what was necessary to protect them.

“Perhaps we should eat now,” Dumbledore suggested decisively. He didn’t want any more questions of that nature to float about Hogwarts. Things like ‘how was the Dark Lord alive?’ and ‘what magic did he do?’ Those would only raise interest in topics that he needed to keep to himself for the time being.

“Sure, we’re done,” Xander said, releasing the charm and herding the kids to their table. “You guys heard the story, so don’t go asking anymore questions,” he told the Gryffindors, looking pointedly at the first-years. The girls were known gossips, and Ron, while not as bad as he had been, still threw fits of jealousy now and then.

“We won’t,” Lavender and Parvati said quickly.

Ron just slumped in his chair at the look Percy gave him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t know much about guns, but what I could find said that a 12-gauge shotgun could take off most of the head. Some say the entire head. But I didn’t want him beheaded as he needed to be identified. So, I went with that.
> 
> Also, I searched every Harry Potter website I could find, and found nothing about a cure for the Cruciatus Curse. Only what it was, who cast it, and so on. So, I’m going with my research and saying there is no cure. If you can point out where, in a verified resource, that I’m wrong, I will be more than happy to admit my error. 
> 
> The wand thing was not planned, it just happened. One minute I had the whole thing planned out, then next I was writing something completely different. Oh well, I should be used to it by now.


	13. Going Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I looked and looked but I could not find what I needed to about small company internal computer networks in 1992, so I winged it. If you can tell me, then I will be more than happy to change what I put. 
> 
> DaughterOfIris23 and Dashti-the-dramione-shipper are the betas for this chapter.

The next morning there was an article in the Daily Prophet that declared Xander to be the King of Goblins, Lord of Hogwarts, and Guardian of the Boy-Who-Lived. Next to Xander’s smiling, wolf-eyed picture was a pair of dead hands with the caption stating that they had belonged to Quirinus Quirrell. The gist of the article was that now he was the king of a warrior race and that he would do what he needed to protect his family and his people. That the man whose hands those were, was now dead. That Xander had killed him for harming Harry. He maintained that if anyone hurt Harry, their detached hands would be shown next.

It had the community in an uproar. There were pros and cons being fought over in taverns and pubs. Quite a few fights had to be quelled. The Aurors were not happy.

Xander didn’t care. He had said his piece and he would stand by every word.

That very afternoon, Madam Bones came to visit. “I have orders to bring you in for questioning,” she said wryly. The last place she wanted to be was here, bothering the man who had killed You-Know-Who-- well, drove him off. She had a department to run, and a covert operation to arrange. Something needed to be set up in case the Dark Lord did come back. And it had to be subtle. The Minster could not know about it, so she would set up a small group of trusted Aurors to monitor the situation.

“Oh?” Xander replied as he showed her into his ‘house within the castle’. This should be good. Bones didn’t know he was innocent of violating any crime. Well, _she_ might, but the people who sent her--that was different. The situation had to be important, or they would have just sent a regular Auror.

She looked around with awe at the home. The amount of magic that must have been used…. She shook her head and replaced her look of awe with one of professionalism. “Yes, Minister Fudge demands that you be brought to justice. He claims that if you are Goblin King, then you broke many treaties by killing Professor Quirrell.”

“Ah, but I took his life as guardian of the Boy-Who-Lived,” Xander parried. “Besides, Hogwarts is self-governed. The only reason I called you in yesterday was because it was one of your citizens that was killed.”

“How can you be self-governed with so few people that can claim this land as home?”

“You know what? That’s a good question. Joyce!” he called, then settled in and waited.

“Yes?” Joyce asked as she appeared beside him on the couch, shocking Amelia in the process.

“How can we be sovereign if we aren’t a country?” he asked.

“Hogsmeade,” was her succinct answer, but when she saw that they didn’t understand, she went further. “At the time that we were given that power, the town was much larger. The whole country was split into small kingdoms; we were one. They pay their taxes and a portion of their revenues to Hogwarts: it’s in their leases and mortgages. Merlin was our king, but the throne has lain empty since he died. The ruling was that only the Lord of Hogwarts was to rule, which we all know is now Xander. I’ve held it as proxy, but since I’m technically dead, well…. When all the other kingdoms were conquered, we never were. No one could find us or knew about us. Only the magicals knew and they used us as a refuge. The non-magical parents were charmed not to talk. All the wars passed us by. Diagon Alley is a result of the witch hunts before the Statute of Secrecy. We’re an offshoot of Avalon,” she explained with a shrug. “King Arthur wanted us to be self-sufficient, so he set it up. I gave my papers to that Auror, Kingsley.”

“Yes, I read those, and… I’m sorry, who are you?” Amelia asked, wondering how this young-looking looking woman would know all that.

“Oh, sorry, I’m Joyce Summers. I’m the embodiment of Hogwarts. I was around when it was built, and I became the building when I died,” Joyce said, leaning forward and holding her hand out to shake Amelia’s.

Bones took the hand and shook it limply. It was like meeting a radio star: someone who knew the founders. “I have a question. Was Salazar Slytherin as bad as they say?” Then she reeled back at the glare she received.

“No! No, he was not!” Joyce snapped as she stood with her hands on her hips, ready to defend the memory of the man she thought of as her son.

“I didn’t think so,” Amelia quickly said, waving her hands placatingly. “There are too many holes in the story,” she added. It had always been a mystery to her. Why would the others build with him if he were evil? Why were there no other stories of him before or after he left? Why were there no trials, or accounts of criminal activity on his part? Too many unanswered questions.

“Well, that’s fine then.” The spirit of Hogwarts relaxed, sitting back on the couch.

“Mr. Harris, Minister Fudge wants you to come in. Perhaps, if I can question you, that will appease him,” the Head of the DMLE said, hoping to get few more answers for the record.

“Sure. School lets out in a few days. Let me get Harry settled and I can come by in, say, a week?” Xander suggested, not seeing an issue with that request. If things got hairy, he could just teleport out. It was one of the things he hadn’t told Bones about.

“That would be lovely. Owl me and let me know when you are available,” Amelia said. She stood and held out her hand to Xander. “I look forward to our talk.”

“Me too. And hey, if you can get this Fudge fellow to come, that’d be great,” he said with a smirk. He and Buffy had loved riling up officials, something poor Giles was well aware of. Wesley never stood a chance. Poor bastard. At least it had made him grow a backbone.

“I’ll see what I can do. I can see myself out.” With that, Amelia Bones left the ‘house in the castle’. She still marveled at the amount of magic that it must have taken to design the seemingly muggle home within the magical school.

“She’s good people,” Xander said as he sat back down.

“She was a good student. Hufflepuff, if I remember correctly,” Joyce agreed, calling a house elf for some butterbeer.

“Really? Well, that takes the cake. I’d have pegged her as a Gryffindor. She is a cop, after all,” Xander stated. He took one of the butterbeers and settled back into the sofa.

“You should never stereotype the Houses, Xander. That is never a smart thing to do,” Joyce said, settling back on the couch with him and just enjoying time spent with one of her sons. They then discussed him being at Hogwarts for some days over the summer. As it was, most of the residents were being sent on a paid vacation. The Muggle Studies professor would be sent to get caught up on the 20 th century, and the rest were to learn more about the non-magicals. It would do them good to know --and teach-- what they were up against. Xander knew they would not stay hidden forever, and if they wanted to survive, they needed to know how to blend. That, and they were upgrading the castle. The teachers would need to know how to use the stuff they were bringing in.

An hour later Harry came in. “Hey, what’s up?” he asked, settling on the couch across from them and grabbing a butterbeer.

“Madam Bones came to visit, and I have to go and answer a few questions for the cops next week. Where’s Hermione?” Xander replied, not worried in the least. His casualness showed, so those around him didn’t worry either. 

“She wants to get some studying done for next year,” the dark-haired boy answered with a frown. All she seemed to do was study. He was going to have to get her to have some fun, sooner or later. It was downright unhealthy. 

“Harry, I wanted to ask you about Dumbledore’s wand,” Joyce said, leaning forward a bit. “I heard what happened, but I never got a good look at it. The portraits are telling me that he’s really mad that he doesn’t have it. Can I see it?” she asked gently.

“Sure,” Harry replied, and he pulled the wand out of his pocketspace. “It’s a weird wand. It calls to me at night.”

“It’s not telling you to kill anyone, is it?” a very worried Xander questioned. Cursed objects were not new to him. The demon Sweets came vividly to mind. He’d never look the same at singing and dancing again. He still had nightmares.

“No. I don’t think so. It just wants me to use it,” was Harry’s confused answer.

Joyce looked at the wand in the boy’s hand and knew exactly what it was. She remembered the Tale of the Three Brothers; it had been read many times within her walls. She now had a niggling feeling that Harry’s invisibility cloak was the one of lore too. No cloak lasted that long. Not one to keep secrets from family, she said, “Harry, that is a very powerful wand. The bodies it has left behind are numerous. You need to put that back in your pocketspace and only use it in the direst of circumstances. I mean it, young man, put it away,” she added when Harry didn’t do as she said right away.

“Joyce, something I should know?” Xander asked, eyeing the space that Harry tucked the wand into.

“The Tale of the Three Brothers tells of three men who defeated Death and were awarded. One got that wand, and he died not long after. Many wizards have fought for that wand. It is said to be the most powerful wand there is. I say, if it’s so powerful, then why are people dying over it? However, I don’t know the full history. Still, it is not to be toyed with. The only way to claim that wand it to either kill the owner or rip it from their hands, like Harry did. It is not a good wand. I’m worried others might find out he has it and do their best to take it,” she said almost in tears. She didn’t want to go through the process of losing a family member so soon after meeting him. The founders had lived a long time, but these two would only stay on earth a short while. She knew this, and wanted their relationship with her to last, at least until they married and had children they could send to her.

“I won’t use it,” Harry promised, not liking seeing his foster mother so worried.

“I know, sweetie, you’re a good boy. I want you to promise me you won’t tell anyone you have it. Claim ignorance, if you have to, okay?” Joyce pleaded.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the boy said with a smirk, hoping to lighten the mood.

“Not even Neville and Hermione,” Xander warned. He didn’t know the story, but if Joyce was spooked, it was not good.

“I promise,” Harry said. “I’m going to go pack. We’re leaving soon, and I want to make sure I haven’t lost anything,” he stated, moving to do just that. He wanted to get away from the tension in the room.

“Okay, sweetie. If you’re missing anything, call a house elf,” his foster mother advised.

“I will. Bye.” And with that, he bolted from the room.

“Do you think we should take it away?” a very concerned Xander asked.

“No. If you do, then you’re the owner, and they will come after you,” the equally concerned Joyce replied.

“Better me than him,” Xander said forcefully.

“No, actually, this works better. Only you, me, Amelia and Dumbledore know who has it. Amelia doesn’t know what it is, and I don’t really count, since I’m dead and I can’t be tortured. Dumbledore won’t talk. And only you know exactly where he has stored it. Besides, I have a feeling it’s right where it was always supposed to wind up,” she said ominously. She knew the family history of many of her students, and Harry’s went back as far as the Peverell brothers. The ones from the tale.

“Okay, I’ll trust your judgment for now.” Xander backed down, making plans for if or when this became an issue.

“I have to go. Don’t fret, Xander, it will all work out in the end.” And with that she disappeared.

“It better,” was all he could say to the air.

The rest of the week went slow. With no class, and nothing to do but wait for grades, most of the students were bored. Still, time passed and now it was time to go home. Harry reveled in that. Home. He had never had one outside of Hogwarts, and now he did. It felt wonderful. He, Hermione and Neville sat together on the train and just chatted about things they would do over the summer. Hermione was going on a trip with her parents. Neville had a few parties he didn’t want to go to. Harry was just going to relax. It had been forever since he could. He did offer for Neville to come and visit. During their talks, they had a small visit from Malfoy.

“Still claiming you beat the Dark Lord, Potter?” the blond boy sneered. Inside he was actually nervous that what the boy had said was true. He, like many of his dormmates, didn’t want the Dark Lord back. His was a jealous reason. See, then his father would be paying attention to someone else, and Draco would not be the center of attention that he was used to being.

“Like Xander said, you can believe what you want,” Harry answered negligently. Xander told him not to worry about what others thought, especially bullies like Malfoy.

“You will meet your end one day, Potter,” the blond wizard vowed, and turned and left before Potter could send him to the loo again. Or the prat’s bodyguard showed up. Draco knew the man was lurking around somewhere.

“We all do,” the dark-haired wizard called after him. A shiver ran down his spine, though he couldn’t say why. He wasn’t afraid of dying. Sometimes, when he was in is cupboard, he longed for death, he had come to welcome it. Now that he had family, he still knew that one day he would die. So, he had no idea why his words rang untrue. Brushing it away, he turned back to his friends.

The group giggled and went back to their talks of summer. When they got to the train station, Harry and Xander, being comical, hugged like they hadn’t seen each other on the train. Silly boys. Hermione hugged her parents, and Neville just slinked off with his formidable grandmother.

“I don’t think she’s very nice to him,” Harry said as he watched his friend’s shoulders slump further and further the more the woman talked.

“I know. We’ll get him to come visit soon,” Xander said, knowing that while she belittled the boy, she did love him. He had had a discussion with her about Neville’s wand, after Xander had replaced the boy’s father’s wand. The woman was tough, that was true, however, she did worry about her grandchild.

“Okay,” was the sad reply. Harry never liked to see anyone sad, and Neville was sad.

“Come on, we’ll go see what Emma did to the house,” Xander offered, picking up Harry trunk and hoisting the lightweight item on his shoulder, and they joined the Grangers.

They made it to their house, via Harry Air including the family’s car, and marveled at the nice décor. Emma had done a great job, she kept the colors mostly deep brown, forest green, and tan. The walls were dark, the floor was tan, the furniture was brown, green and tan with splashes of burnt orange in there. She also kept is sparse. There was only a couch, chair, coffee table, lamps and rug in the living room. A picture of a forest scene hung over the large fireplace.

The kitchen/dining room was equally sparse. The counters only had a microwave and coffeepot. The regular refrigerator and stove was a contrasting white to the brown counters. The dishes were a deep dark brown, with coffee cups to match. The six-seater wooden table was just the right size.

The bedrooms had a bed, dresser, desk, and nightstand. Xander’s was a king size, but Harry’s was a twin. She didn’t want to overwhelm the poor boy. The third room was left empty for the work out equipment.

“I wanted to leave most of the decorating to you. I figured you would want to add your own personal touches,” Emma said when they finished looking around.

“This is great,” said Harry, enthused. It was more than he had his entire life.

“Thanks, Emma, it’s really male friendly,” Xander said, mussing Harry’s hair. “You guys enjoy your trip. We’ll be okay from here,” he added, knowing they wanted to get going.

“Okay. See you soon,” she said, waving as she went.

“Bye, Harry, I’ll bring you back something,” Hermione called as she turned and walked backwards.

“Have fun,” he called back.

The duo had a great time shopping for their house. Since it wasn’t clothes, though they did pick up some summer ones, it wasn’t a hassle. They spent the next two days rearranging everything and making it a home. Just for them. The rest of the week was spent setting up a schedule. Mornings were for workouts, breakfast and cleaning. The rest of the day was spent to whatever came to them. Harry finished most of his summer homework the last week of Hogwarts, and so had the whole summer to relax.

Xander had to pop over to Hogwarts every day to help with the upgrading. They had found some muggleborns what were more than happy to set it all up. Hogwarts would be a much brighter, warmer place when the kids came back.

Joyce, being able to move every stone in the castle, helped a great deal. If they needed to get behind a wall, she simply made an entrance. The only place she couldn’t go was under the foundation. The basement and dungeon were above that, meaning the kitchen and Hufflepuff and Slytherin dorms would get upgrades as well.

Since the plumbing worked, it was left untouched for now.

Central heating was to be installed in each of the _used_ classrooms, offices, common rooms and dorm rooms; with insulation added. They had plans for the whole castle, but it would take more than one summer to accomplish.

Each common room was going to sport electric outlets for entertainment purposes, and electric chandeliers instead of candles. They kept the outlets out of the dorm rooms for now, but if the kids proved they wouldn’t stick metal stuff in the outlets, they would add them later. When set up, there was going to be a charm to keep the less informed from doing just that. If it wasn’t an actual plug, it would not get into the outlet. Still, some of the upper years might dispel that, so they kept them in the common rooms. They had plans to do the same to the offices, but the teachers didn’t need to know that.

All the most trafficked halls would have electric lights, and the Great Hall would have massive electric crystal chandeliers, which would dim during the evening afters, so the ceiling could still be seen. Joyce had told Xander the story of how all four of the founders got together and created that marvelous work of art. Xander hoped one day that he and Harry could do something similar. Well, they probably could now, but not without being exhausted.

TV/movie rooms would be set up for those with passing grades and current on their homework. And educational game rooms was planned for those needing help. Anyone could use them, but they were geared towards those who were behind in the non-magical classes. Club rooms were also designated and powered up. They would have outlets for those who wanted to use media to prove points or just entertainment. With the same kiddy-proof charms, of course.

A phone room was going to be added. Now, if the parents had a phone, they could call, or the kids could call on weekends, or emergencies. They would upgrade a classroom to a computer room in the future. No need to bombard the kids with too many changes at once. They were hoping to sneak in a computer teacher in the near future and make it an elective class.

The offices also were to be given phones, and magical computers, thought up by a muggleborn. They ran on electricity but were more comprehensive than non-magical computers. They ran faster, and the search engines were quicker. They couldn’t get on the Internet, but they could do paperwork, print, have filing and send internal emails. The house elves were taught to scan all the files into each computer. They would have what was called a _campus network_ , so they could communicate with each other and share files. A room was created by Joyce to hold the brain and router.

The house elves were beyond ecstatic when they got new appliances. They mostly did everything with magic, and the new appliances were electrically and magically operated, also created by a muggleborn. Nothing spoiled or burnt with these babies. They were also bigger and better. And shiny. The deep walk-in freezer was well received. The whole kitchen was a more moderate temperature and lit better. They could see what they were doing now, and all the elves jumped for joy.

Filch’s job was made easier with a floor buffer and a large vacuum for all the tapestries. The vacuum washed and cleaned as it went, without water. It still ran on electricity, as did the buffer, but it was enhanced. Those sneaky little house elves were taking joyrides on the buffer, making Filch have to hunt it down to use it.

Norberta’s pen was going to be reinforced with electric fences, which had a separate generator. She was prone to try and escape. For some reason she thought Harry was a nestmate and kept trying to get to him. Fluffy was good at keeping her in the pen, but backup never hurt.

All these upgrades were to be fed by the sun and magic, with a transformer to make sure they were compatible and didn’t overload. It was another muggleborn design. The whole roof of the castle, that couldn’t be seen from the lake, now housed solar paneling. The elves were in charge of keeping them clean of debris and making sure if one was broken, either they fixed it, or they told Xander, who was taught how to fix them magically. The generator was in one of the many disused classrooms on the top floor and the wires fed thusly. It was warded six ways to Sunday, the whole roof as well. It was the first thing set up.

They were even planning a large windmill to be built next to Hagrid’s hut to supplement for the winter when the sun was gone. It was a magical windmill, so it would go faster than non-magical’s and work three times as hard. It would stand 100 meters tall, and the arms 35 meters in length. It would be built like the ones in Holland and face the lake. In the summer it would spin lazily, but in the winter, it would rev up. A silencing charm was to be added to it, so only a muffled ‘thuamp’ would be heard.

Xander was looking into geothermal power, but it was still new, and he wanted to make sure it was safe.

Right now, it was all just starting, the roof, the kitchen and the halls were done, but they hoped to have it completed by the end of summer.

Along with electrical updates, the wards were updated as well. The Chastity Ward was boosted to include heavy bullying. If someone was about to be hurt the alarm would blare. With Xander being able to jump anywhere in the castle, there was little chance to escape. Passive or mild bullying was recorded and sent to the Head of House as an email. That way they would be able to step in and stop it. There was a weak intent ward added to the perimeter. It would warn Xander, Albus, and Joyce if someone with ill intent was entering the school. They thought about a stronger one but decided that hormonal teenagers had some strong emotions and the ward would set off every time the kids decided they hated their parents, or their siblings, or their boy/girlfriend, or even just everyone in general. But, in time of war the ward could be boosted.

The week flew and Xander made his way to the Ministry. He was led to Amelia’s office, and took the seat indicated. With her was a small, pudgy man, who seemed to like the color green a bit too much.

“Thank you for coming, Mr. Harris. Minster Fudge feels you violated goblin treaties in killing Professor Quirrell,” she started, poising her quill to take notes.

“Nope. I acted as Harry’s guardian, not the goblins’ king,” Xander denied, looking at the man and finding him wanting.

Fudge bristled. “Now see here,” he said, “you killed a man. A wizard. I have been told you’re a muggle, or a squib. You don’t even own a wand,” he scoffed. He knew everything about this man. Or so he thought.

Xander held out his hand and created a flame. “I don’t need one,” he sneered. This would not give away too much.

Cornelius was flustered. Lucius had said the man was a muggle. His son swore it was so. “I… I… nevertheless, you must be tried for killing a British wizard,” he demanded. “We don’t hold to such acts. I will see you in prison for this,” the self-important man threatened. Well, he was important, just not as much as he thought he was.

“Who was attacking a British child. I have Harry’s memory. Do you want to see it?” Xander asked slyly. This way the truth could not be denied.

“That is a sound idea,” Amelia stated firmly, getting up to get the pensieve. She brought it to the desk and poured the memory in. They all put a finger in the bowl and were sucked in. The memory started when Harry first woke and finished when he woke again in the Hospital Wing. They were pushed out at the end, and Xander retook his seat. He was so proud of Harry for having bravely faced such odds.

“This proves nothing. The boy is as blind as a wimblebat. We couldn’t even see who the man was,” Fudge denied quickly. He could not believe that the person was He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. The Dark Lord was dead.

“All it needs to prove is that he was being tortured. And he was. Whatever else you take from it, is up to you,” the wolf-eyed man said firmly, leaning forward and glaring that the idiot. “Besides, you fool, even if it isn’t Voldyshorts, it _is_ a Dark Lord. Moron,” Xander scoffed.

“Now see here, I am the Minster of Magic. You can’t talk to me like that,” Cornelius said, puffing up importantly.

“And I am Lord Hogwarts, King of the Goblins, and Guardian of the Boy-Who-Lived. So what,” Xander said snidely.

“Gentlemen, stop. It is obvious that Mr. Harris was innocent of killing in cold blood. This is a case of protecting his foster son. No charges will be filed. We will make note and move on,” Bones said when she got tired of all the posturing. 

“But… but… Amelia,” Fudge stuttered.

“No. That is my final word,” she stated firmly.

“Fine, but you had better watch your step, Harris. I am the Minister of Magic, and I can see you deported,” the pudgy man blustered.

“Sure, go ahead. I’ll just close Hogwarts and take my ward elsewhere.” Xander shrugged and brushing the man off as unimportant.

Cornelius paled and quickly left the room. He needed to talk to Lucius.

“That’s your leader?” the wolf-eyed man asked in disbelief. He knew some weak leaders in his time, but this guy took the cake.

“Yes,” was all Bones would say to that. She shuffled some files on her desk. They all seem to be held there by magic.

“You should go and see what we’re doing to the castle. I’m having it upgraded to include phones and electricity,” Xander advised with a smug look. It would help her in the long run if she had a computer to hold all this paperwork.

“Really!?” she exclaimed, excitedly. “I thought electricity didn’t work in magical areas?”

“Nope, that was just propaganda. It works just fine. If it were true, all the non-magical buildings around this one and Diagon Alley wouldn’t work. Now, I’m not trying to change your culture, but you guys stumbling ignorantly around in this age to technology is just plain stupid. I’m from the future, a different future granted, but mostly the same in the non-magical area and you’re gonna get caught, mark my words. In a few years, cameras will be on all the streets of London. Everything you do will be recorded. It will be a matter of days before the secret of magic gets out. You need to come in to this century or you’re all going to die,” he warned forcefully. It might be a bit of an exaggeration, but he felt it was not far from the truth. From what he had seen with the teachers at Hogwarts, they were just asking to be killed. Really, not knowing what a phone was, or how to use one, was just wrong. A world of wrong. “I mean even if you don’t wire the building up, at least get a phone system. They are much faster than the paper airplanes I saw buzzing by. More useful too. You can reply right away, not have to go back and forth with all the parchment.”

“Yes, I’ve heard some of my muggleborn Aurors complain about the lack of phones. I will definitely look into those, now that I know they will work,” she said as her brain ran a mile a minute. She was very concerned about his prediction and would have to research these cameras. She’d have to take her finding to the Wizengamot. If what he said was true, they were all in danger. “How did you get the clearance to add all of your ‘upgrades’?” she asked, knowing that the board would never had approved of such muggle things.

“I do own the building. If the Board doesn’t like it, they can stuff it. I mean really, no TV that’s just criminal. That I haven’t had a Twinkie since I got here. Therein lays badness,” Xander said sorrowfully. It was a small white lie, he had been in the non-magical world a few times and stocked up. However, the house elves couldn’t get their faux Twinkies quite right. They were very upset over this and determined to try harder. It was the chemicals, Xander was sure of it.

“Well, like I said, I will look into it. For now, we are done. No charges will be filed. If I need you, I will owl you,” she said, looking at her busy schedule.

“Not a problem. I’m at your disposal,” Xander said, getting up and shaking her hand. He left with a jaunty whistle and made his way home. He liked the sound of that ‘home’. It had been years since he had one. He, like Harry, never considered his father’s house a home. Now, he had Harry and that was home.


	14. Summer Antics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as you have guessed this is now a mostly different story. If you read the original then you would realize that a great many scenes have disappeared, and I've added my own twist. I am hoping to keep the plot and characters the same, but I'm winging it, so that might not happen. I actually have the end scene already written, and the road to get there will be fun.
> 
> DaughterOfIris23, Dashti-the-dramione-shipper and AngstyCanadianGleek are the betas for this chapter.

The first thing Xander did after talking to Amelia and Fudge was hit himself in the head. Then he went home, released his wolf eyes, and grabbed Harry and went to London proper. They made their way to a walk-in optical shop.

"Okay, Harry," he said, clasping the boy on the shoulder right before they went in and turning the nervous boy to face him, "we're going to get you some contacts. I talked to Poppy, but she said they didn't have any in the magical world, so here we are. Don't worry, this stuff is easy. You just have to look at things."

"Okay, Xander," Harry said, keeping a brave face. He was worried that his eyes were in worse condition than he thought. He had read that bad nutrition could cause really bad eyesight, and added to that was the fact that he spent a good part of his childhood in a dark boot-cupboard, which didn’t help at all. What he didn't know was that his magic had spent most of his life preventing the effects of malnutrition. So his bones weren't weak, and his eyes weren't that bad. He was still short and genetically nearsighted, since there was only so much his magic could handle and those weren't potentially damaging. It did what it could with what it had.

They walked through the door, and a little bell on the door rang. It was a fairly bright shop, with large windows and glasses frames everywhere. A few tables and a large receptionist desk were right in front of them. Behind them was a nice-looking young woman. She was petite and a brunette. Her smile looked like she should be working at a dentist’s office, it was so big and bright.

"Hello there! Welcome to Dorie's Spectacles. What can I do for you today?" she asked as they approached.

"Hello, I'm Xander and this here's Harry. We need to get him some new eyewear. Harry was playing sports at school, and he lost his glasses a few times. We've talked it over and decided that he's old enough to try contacts," Xander said, keeping his hand on Harry's tense shoulder.

"Not a problem. Let me see who's available. May I have his Health Card?" she inquired as she picked up the interoffice phone, still smiling. Harry was a minor so his exams would be covered, but Xander would have to pay for contacts.

"Oh, yeah, give me a minute," he said, pulling out his wallet and grabbing Harry's card. It was one of the first things he did when get got non-magical custody of Harry. The Dursleys had never bothered, since they never took him in for treatment. He handed it over and they watched the girl run it while talking to someone in the back. Free health care still boggled his mind. He had heard a few congressmen had tried to get it passed in the States, but with the money that could be made with a private practice, he never saw it working there.

"This is Dr. Allen. He's going take care of you today," she said, handing him back the card and indicating the average looking dark-haired man who had just entered the room.

"Hello, Doctor, we need some eye exams and contacts for Harry here," Xander repeated.

"Are you sure? Contacts are a big responsibility," the optometrist inquired, waving them into the back.

"He wants to try," the one-eyed man said.

"Okay. Well, let's see what we can do," the doctor said, and then proceeded to test Harry's eyes. He spent the entire time warning Harry the pitfalls of not using or caring for contacts correctly. He wanted to make sure the boy knew what he was getting into. Xander wasn't worried; they'd magic the contacts to prevent most of these things. However, Harry would have to take them out every night and soak them. It would give him a sense of responsibility. He did want Harry great at magic, but it shouldn't be the end of everything.

The tests took about an hour, since Xander wanted him completely examined. He too was worried about the effects of Harry's childhood.

"Good news, young man," the doctor said to the now-relaxed Harry. The exams weren't as bad as he thought. Xander was right, besides the dilating, it was just looking at stuff. "Your eyes are in fine condition. A bit nearsighted, but we can fix that with the contacts. Go give this to Sharon at the front desk to settle the bill and get your contacts ordered," he said, handing Xander the prescription. He led them back to the front and nodded to where Sharon was.

Xander ordered the contacts and paid the bill. They would be ready in a few days. They went home, reassured for different reasons. Xander because he was glad that liability was gone, and Harry because he wasn't as blind as he thought. The night with Voldyshorts must have been due to a hit on the head or maybe the aftereffects of the stunning charm. He didn't know. Still, he was glad he was getting contacts as it took a great deal off his mind.

A few days later, and everyone could see Harry's beautiful eyes. It took a while to get used to not grabbing for his glasses first thing in the morning and sticking his finger in his eye instead, but he was getting there. He'd have to go back every six months since he was still growing, but to be able to see so well was well worth it.

A few weeks later and summer was in full swing. Harry was having a great time doing absolutely nothing. Well, not nothing, he still had his chores, but cleaning his room and helping with the dishes were child's play to what he was used to. Xander was great, he taught Harry how to use the equipment in the workout room. And Harry had to admit, his dad was right, housework was not the same. The first few days he ached in places he didn't even know he had. He started out very light and worked slowly upwards. Xander said that it had to be done slowly or you could damage yourself, especially since Harry had not hit puberty yet.

Xander also took the time to teach some basic carpentry skills, so Harry now knew how to nail a nail and screw in a screw. It was fun. He got to build a birdhouse that now sat in the tree behind the house. Hedwig claimed it, so Xander expanded it to fit her. Harry couldn't be happier.

They had a great birthday celebration with Neville and Hermione. Harry learned that Neville's birthday was the day before his, and he made sure to get him a gift. Well, Xander had to run out and get it, but the thought was there. They got him a small plant terrarium with a few Venus Flytraps that would fit in one of the windows in Neville's bedroom. The round-faced boy was ecstatic. He never knew the non-magicals had carnivorous plants. He vowed to take very good care of it and to read the booklet that came with it. Harry just hoped he didn't feed it magical fertilizer. It might become a man-eating plant if he did.

The upgrades to the castle were done. The teachers were back and learning how to use the new equipment. It was funny to watch them flounder a bit, but they soon got the hang of it. They all marveled on how much easier it made their lives. Even Dumbledore was happy about it. His paperwork was cut in half. Professor Sinistra was over the moon at the new telescopes. This opened up a whole new world of magic theory.

Today Harry and Xander were going to visit the Weasleys. Bill wanted Harry to meet his parents and youngest sibling. The young wizard was excited. He had never been to a friend's house before, besides Hermione's. But this was a magical household. And while Bill wasn't a friend, per se, he was a really great guy. If Harry wasn't so leery of strangers, men specifically, then Bill might have rated an uncle. However, Harry could not shake his childhood off that easily. He did wonder why he had taken to Xander so well. There was something about the man that just screamed 'trust me'. Every day that went by, Harry felt closer and closer to the Xandman.

"Harry! Are you ready to go?" Xander called across the house. He had told Bill they'd meet him in ten minutes. They would have left earlier, but Harry was working on something and they lost track of time. Good thing he had set an alarm spell, and it went off fifteen minutes ago.

"Be there in a minute, Dad," Harry replied unthinkingly, while he slipped on his sandals.

Xander blinked, then teared up a bit. That was the first time Harry showed affection in any form. Heck, he still didn't hug for bed. He would just politely say 'goodnight' and then scurry off. This was a great breakthrough. He was so proud of his son's progress. "Come on, then," he said loudly.

"I'm here," Harry said as he entered the room, a bit breathless. He had tried on at least three outfits, not wanting to make a bad impression. He settled for a dark blue t-shirt with tan shorts and sandals. Xander was dressed in a bright red Hawaiian shirt and long blue shorts, also sporting sandals. They looked at each other and gave each other the thumbs up.

"All right, why don't you get us to Diagon Alley, so we can hook up with Bill? He wants us to take something called the Knight Bus. It's supposed to be safer than Flooing," the wolf-eyed man said as he made sure the house was locked up. He grabbed his keys, not that he needed them, but it was a force of habit, and nodded to Harry. In a wink, they were gone. They appeared in an alley not far from the Leaky Cauldron. They had scoped it out a few weeks back, so they always had a spot to teleport to.

They walked to the pub while Harry talked excitedly about what a magical house could look like. Xander nodded his head in all the right places and just basked in the fact that Harry was happy. They met up with Bill, who called the Knight Bus.

'BANG' was the sound the triple-decker bus made when it stopped not two feet in front of them. Xander almost pulled his gun.

The Knight Bus was a huge purple monstrosity. Inside was lined with huge, comfortable-looking armchairs with small end tables next to them. The group boarded, declined the drink, paid the fare, and Bill warned them to grab a seat. No sooner were they seated than the big bus took off at sonic speeds. The chairs were all thrown back and the two newbies held on for dear life.

"It gets easier once you've taken it a time or two!" Bill shouted over their screams. Xander's bellows of frustration at not being able to sit up straight, g-force be damned, and Harry's whoops of joy.

"This is great!" Harry yelled back.

Xander finally relaxed in the chair and had to agree. It was like being on a ride in Disney World only enclosed, and through crowds of traffic and people. He just never expected it on public transportation. He wondered if he could get a car to do the same. That would be nifty. There were times when teleporting wasn't feasible. And he knew that the CCTV cameras would be about soon. He was going to have to tell a few people about those like he had with Madam Bones. Mostly the students, so they would then tell their parents, and so on. Hopefully even the most foolish would learn not to Apparate in crowded areas anymore.

Soon they were in Ottery St. Catchpole and getting off the bus.

"We live right up that trail," Bill said, ignoring the loud BANG from behind him. Xander and Harry jumped.

"I can't wait to meet the rest of your family," enthused Harry, as he followed the two adults down the trail.

"They want to meet you, too. Me, Percy, and the twins won't shut up about you and Xander. Mum's going to kill you, Xander," the redhead said with a smirk.

"What did I do?" the wolf-eyed man asked indignantly.

"You're letting the twins teach Harry how to prank," came the truthful answer.

"It's teaching him stealth," Xander corrected proudly. Harry had pulled quite a few pranks this summer -- without his invisibility cloak -- and had yet to be caught in the act. The only way he knew it was Harry was because he was the only other person in the house.

They made it to the towering house. It was held together by magic alone. The carpenter in Xander was having raging fits on the design. He itched to fortify the place because logically it shouldn't be standing.

"Mum, Dad, look who I brought home!" the oldest Weasley called as he went through the door.

There was a stampede of children as they came from all parts of the house. Only Charlie wasn't there, and Percy came at a steadier pace.

"Oh, Bill, it is good to see you. You were not at supper last night," a plump redhead woman said as she engulfed her eldest as if he had been away for years.

"Mum, I am an adult now. I have my own life," the very embarrassed man said, patting his mum on the back.

"Pish-posh, you will always be my baby," she said as she released her child.

"Mum, Dad, this is Harry Potter and Xander Harris," Bill recovered nicely, making the two adults focus on the new people. "Xander, Harry, this is my mum, Molly, and my dad, Arthur."

Xander held out his hand and said, "Nice to meetcha."

Harry was a bit politer and said, "It is very nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley."

"Oh, Harry, look at you, all grown up. Why the last time I saw you Ginny was a newborn," Molly gushed as she tried to pull Harry into a hug.

The boy in question quickly ducked behind Xander, who let him hide here. "I've taught him that he doesn't have to take hugs that make him uncomfortable. Since you are a stranger, you'll have to get to know him better before you try that," he said unapologetically. It was a small way Harry could stand up for himself. Never take affection from those he didn't know. A lot like Stranger Danger. Even though he was sure Molly was harmless, she should not be hugging children that were not hers.

"What silliness is that? Not taking hugs? Just what are you teaching the poor child?" she questioned, very insulted.

"I didn't say he couldn't get hugs, just not from strangers," Xander said firmly.

"How will he ever learn affection?" she asked, thinking that maybe Dumbledore was correct, and this man was bad for Harry.

"Changing the subject. Hello, Arthur, I hear you work with the Ministry," the wolf-eyed man stated, turning from the woman, who he felt was being invasive. It was none of her business how he raised Harry. As long as Harry was happy and healthy, he could teach him as he pleased.

"Yes, I'm head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office," the redhead said proudly, glancing at his fuming wife. He wasn't sure why the man didn't want Harry to be hugged, but it was Mr. Harris' prerogative.

"So, you know a lot about non-magicals?" Xander asked, still ignoring the irate woman. Bill and the rest of the Weasley children looked on. They had never seen their mum snubbed and weren't sure how to take it. Harry was just glad he wasn't forced to take the woman's affection. He hated hugs unless they came from Joyce or Hermione. Or Xander, right?

"I like to think I know a fair bit," Arthur said with a tilt of his head, wondering where this was going. According to Bill the man used to be a muggle. Surely, he already knew about them.

"Good, you're just the man I was looking for. I already told Madam Bones, but I thought the more people who knew the better. You see, the non-magicals are going to be putting CCTV cameras all over London soon. Nowhere will be safe. They will capture all forms of magic used in the area. They will record it and send it to the higher-ups. Then someone will hack it and it'll be all over the Internet. Things like the Knight Bus and Apparation will be taped. You need to get the word out, not to use magic in the non-magical world or you will be discovered. Precautions must be made and implemented," Xander explained. Then he saw the blank look on Arthur's face and decided to spend the day's visit explaining a few things to the man who was supposed to know all of this. "Harry, go play with the kids," he suggested, nudging him in the direction of the twins.

"Okay, Xander," Harry said, just glad to be out of the tense room. And with that the children scattered. Harry and the twins went to the garden.

"Why didn't you hug mum?" George wanted to know. Everyone hugged his mum.

"I don't know her. I am uncomfortable getting hugs from people I don't know," Harry replied. He knew that Xander hinted to the student body about his terrible childhood, but these guys didn't know the whole story. He would have to tell them a bit, so they weren't offended that he snubbed their mum. "Look the Dursleys, my relatives, aren't nice people. The only time I got touched by them was to be hit. I don't like it when people touching me. Hugs are worse because I feel trapped."

"Can't say I really understand that, but I do get the gist," George stated. He didn't go a day without hugging someone, his mum, his sister, sometimes his dad. It was not something he ever gave a second thought to.

"It's all right, Ickle Harrykins, we won't hold it against you," Fred agreed. He, like his twin, was an affectionate young man. Still, he was growing up and didn't think it was manly to hug all the time. His twin was slowly getting to where he was.

Harry sighed with relief. Then he spotted a flash of red ducking around the corner. "Who's that?" he asked, pointing to the disappearing girl.

"That's our sister," Fred said with a smirk.

"Yeah, she madly in love with the Boy-Who-Lived," George added, his smirk identical to his brother's.

"'Madly in love?' How can she be 'madly in love'? She's what, nine?" Harry asked flabbergasted.

"Eleven. She's starting Hogwarts this year," Fred said, looking fondly at his sister's shadow, which could be seen from where she was hiding.

"Yeah, she's all grown up now," George wailed, wiping fake tears.

"That's still a bit young to be 'madly in love,'" the dark-haired boy commented, wrinkling his forehead.

"It's a bit of Mum's fault," Fred started.

"She read Ginny all the storybooks about you."

"Built you into a right shining prince, she did."

"Ginny thinks she's the princess who's going to marry you," George finished.

"She's going to be disappointed. I'm not getting married," Harry stated decisively. Then he saw something scuttling in the vegetables. "What's that?" he asked, pointing at the potato-like creature darting through the lettuce.

The twins shared a look, shrugged, and explained what a gnome was and how to fling them. The three boys spent a good hour flinging gnomes, and then played as boys were wont to do. They spent some time teasing Harry's shadow. And then it was time for Harry and Xander to go home.

The kids trooped back into the house and noted that Arthur looked dazed.

Earlier, Xander had taken him and Bill for a quick tour of Harrods, where they went to the entertainment department. The one-eyed man showed them what cameras were, and how they could record everything. Xander stood in front of one, making sure they were alone and created a small flame in his hand. Arthur saw it on the TV and blanched. He was now officially worried. He needed to report this as soon as possible. Bill wasn't much better. He needed to tell the goblins, if they didn't already know. Then he remembered Xander was their king, and that he had probably already told them. Dig sites needed to be more secure. Especially if these satellites Xander talked about could do the same as the cameras.

Molly was very upset that Xander had her usually jovial husband and son in a twist. She had never seen Arthur so serious, not since the war. To say she was peeved was putting it mildly.

"It's been a great day," Xander said, ignoring the glare he was getting. "We'll have to do it again. Hey, I know, the book list will be out soon. How about we all go together? That should be fun," he added, winking at the youngest Weasley. He had seen the glances and thought it was cute, the way she was crushing on his foster son. He didn't know it was hero worship. That was a whole other ball game.

Harry glared at him when he saw the wink. He'd have to talk to Xander about this.

Arthur, shaking himself out of his daze replied, "That's a lovely idea. We can meet in two days' time at the Leaky Cauldron."

"We'll be there. Say around ten in the morning?"

"Yes, that will be fine. The kids will have eaten by then."

Arrangements made Harry and Xander went home via Harry Air, after they left the wards. They had learned it was rude to go through wards, that and they didn't want anyone to know they could. The first time they did, when they went to Hogwarts after the trial, McGonagall had sat them down and explained it. They had passed off that incident as another fluke and no one was the wiser.

"Xander, why did you invite them? Not that I don't like them, but I thought we'd go alone," Harry asked as he settled on the couch in their living room.

"I thought it'd be fun. You know, shopping with friends, ice cream and stuff. If you really don't want to I can go back and cancel." Xander threw himself into the chair. He wondered if he hurt their relationship with the spur of the moment invite.

"No. It's fine, but you owe me a day out," Harry said cheekily, hoping to get that father/son day. He didn't care what they did, as long as it was together.

"Sure, we'll go do something manly, like hunting, camping or something," Xander said, watching the boy's reaction. He wanted to go hunting, he was getting rusty, but he was unsure how squeamish Harry was.

"That'd be great. I've never been camping before," the young man enthused.

"Hey, since we're not going school shopping alone, can we invite Neville and Hermione?" Maybe that would make the hero worship better if she saw him being just a kid. "Xander, you know that Ginny is 'madly in love' with me, right? I mean, she's in love with the Boy-Who-Lived."

"Shit, really? Damn, I'm sorry, Harry. I thought it was just a crush."

"Not according to Fred and George. They say she's been 'in love' with me for years. She's eleven, shouldn't she be playing with dolls or something?"

"Harry, girls start thinking of marriage from a young age. It's actually why they play with their dolls. House, I think they call it. A mommy and daddy and lots of kids. Willow never played, but she still dreamed of a husband when we were kids. I just never knew it was me she was dreaming of marrying. I'm not sure if it's nature or nurture, but they start young. We men just simply nod our head and try not to catch their eye until we're ready. It doesn't always work, but we go with what we have," Xander explained to his clueless son.

"I'll take your word for it. We're going to have to do something, cause I'm not getting married," the dark-haired boy stated firmly.

"You say that now…"

"Nope."

"Na huh."

"Nu… I'm not arguing with you, Xander. You sound like a two-year-old," Harry said with a smile. He loved when Xander got childish. It was nothing he ever remembered experiencing. But he was firm on this. He really didn't want to get married. That way led to kids, and he wasn't sure he'd make a good father.

"Wait until you hit puberty, then talk to me, okay?" Xander said, getting up and ruffling his son's hair. "I'm going to call the Grangers, then Floo the Longbottoms. We'll get everything set. Why don't you go and see what we have for dinner?" he asked as he passed by.

"Okay," Harry said, scrambling up and going to the kitchen. Maybe the day in Diagon Alley would go okay.

The next two days were filled with Xander going to Hogwarts to vet the new hires. He wanted to make sure the kids got a good education. He, Joyce and Minerva, weren't sure about the new DADA teacher, but he was the only one that applied. He looked good on paper, but his 'style' was overbearing. Still, they didn't have anyone else. They still didn't have anyone for History or Potions. No one applied at all. Xander was wondering if they even posted the advert. In reality, no one wanted to pick up the major learning deficit that was left by the former teachers.

His problem was solved when he returned the stone to the Flamels, who were at the point in their lives where they thought dying would be a good thing. Not suicidal, per se, just very tired.

"We have nothing left to learn," Nicholas lamented, looking to his lovely wife. Neither of them looked a day over forty.

"When was the last time you went to the non-magical world?" Xander asked, picking up a stray rock from the desk in front of him, then dropping it when it stung him.

"I must admit it has been quite a while. I think that Einstein fellow as just getting popular," Flamel admitted.

"Well, a lot has changed since then. Don't you use Astronomy in your calculations?" the one-eyed man asked.

"A bit," Nicholas hedged, not seeing where this was going.

"How far can you see with the magical telescope?"

"To Mars, thereabout."

"What if I told you that we can now see to the edge of the galaxy?"

To say the Flamels were gobsmacked was fair. They were completely floored.

"Come on. I'll show you a whole new world," Xander promised as he rose. And he did. In doing so, he also got them to teach Potions and History of Magic, after consulting Albus. However, since Dumbledore knew both of them to be good teachers, he was all for it. They were neutral with the Headmaster, since it was his warning that made them give up the Stone in the first place. They did have a caveat; they would teach, if they could learn more about the non-magical world and amalgamate it with their lessons. Xander was all for that.

Now it was time to go to the Alley. Xander and Harry were in the Leaky Cauldron waiting for all Harry's friends. They were sipping butterbeer and just relaxing. Harry was donning blond hair and his scar was replaced on his hip, so people didn't recognize him. His friends would recognize Xander. The first family to appear was Hermione and her parents. They waved them over and spent the next few minutes catching up. Xander and Harry had kept in contact with this family all summer. Hermione spent a good deal of time with Harry, and it was by her insistence that he got the rest of his summer homework done. Which admittedly wasn't much.

The next to arrive was Neville and his gran. Neville was still enthusing about the Venus Flytraps, going on and on about how they were fed. Augusta was just primly sitting, sipping tea and listening to her happy grandchild. She was glad he had come out of his shell. She blamed Xander.

Then the Weasleys entered, like a small storm in a calm sea. They loudly came to the table, the whole family was there, bar Charlie.

Xander took control. "Does anyone need to go to the bank?" he asked loudly, getting everyone's attention.

There was a lot of shaking of heads, so he moved on. "Since we have a bookworm with us, we're going to do Flourish and Blotts last. However, we should hit Second-Hand Bookshop first to see if they have what we need. Harry, let me see your list," he added, kicking himself for not looking sooner. He thought he knew what was on it, but he remembered the interview with that Lockhart fellow. If he hadn't been the only applicant, Xander would have booted him so fast his oh-so-white smile would have been left behind. As it was, he was going to keep a very close eye on the man. He took the list from Harry and saw the long list of the blowhard's books and frowned. "Okay, change of plans, we're going to Flourish and Blotts first." He was going to nip this in the bud.

Everyone gathered up their belongings and moved to the entrance of the Alley. Making their way to the bookstore, wondering why Xander was so upset. They whispered to themselves as to what it could be and followed the angry man. They decided to wait outside, just in case, it got bad. The twins were pressed against the window. The others were talking to the women who were lined up.

The store was set up for a book signing event, but Xander grabbed Harry and bypassed the line. He marched up to the counter and demanded to talk to the manager. After having some words with the man about the list, he relaxed.

Xander then went outside and addressed the waiting crowd. "Listen up parents of Hogwarts students, the book list has changed. Lockhart's books are no longer a requirement. Get the standard DADA book for the grade level of your child. If you have already purchased the books, Flourish and Blotts has agreed to give you back your money in store credit." With that **,** he went back inside. He penned a quick note to Minerva stating just that and used the bookstore's owl to send it. A notice would be sent out that afternoon.

Lockhart, who had just come out of the back room, was flabbergasted. "I say, my good man, just who do you think you are?" he asked Xander, only seeing the back of his head.

"I am your boss," Xander said as he turned, his yellow eyes glowing with anger. "Don't you remember me from your interview? I don't know how you got your books on the list, but if you want people to buy them, you will not be using the school to do it. Fly on your own merit, jerkface," he said menacingly, destroying the image with the babyish name, but he was in public.

"Oh, Ummm, Mr. Harris, how lovely to see you again," the fop tried to recover.

"I'd say the same, but it's not," Xander disagreed. "Come on, Harry, let's get to the other stores," he said to Harry, leading him out of the store.

"Okay, Xander," Harry said, glad to be gone, but worried that this was his new Defense teacher.

They went back outside to a muttering crowd. "Let's go to the Second-Hand Bookshop, we'll get what else we need later," Xander said to his group.

The rest of the shopping went well, and at the end of the day **,** they went back to Flourish and Blotts. The line outside had greatly diminished, Lockhart's popularity had taken a hit. The group quickly gathered the books they still needed. They were outside, making plans for dinner, when a cultured voice interrupted them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole scene with Molly may seem like bashing. However, it is my personal opinion that no one should force children to take affections from people they don't know. Especially abused children. Hugs can be suffocating and make the child feel trapped. I know I have to trust someone before I can hug them, and even then, it has to be for a good reason. And I'm 52 years old, it is a lifetime… not fear, but feeling, that I've never gotten over. If a child does not want to hug someone, there might be a valid reason. Anyway, that's my opinion.
> 
> Also, I have no idea how the healthcare in Britain works. I'm only going by with I could find on the net. If it's wrong, feel free to let me know


	15. The Opening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I’d say about 85% of the comments on the last chapter were about Molly and unwelcome hugging. It made me feel better that I’m not alone in that train of thought. Thanks, guys. 
> 
> DaughterOfIris23 is the beta for this chapter.

“Arthur Weasley, I see your standards of acquaintances has not improved,” Lucius Malfoy drawled, peering at the motley crew with disdain. They ranged from purebloods to muggles. Muggles, they were polluting the Alley. He would never get the stench off.

“Lucius,” was all Mr. Weasley said, then he turned around and resumed his talk with Xander about dinner arrangements. The rest of the group ignored the blond as well.

Malfoy ignored the snub, he was quite used to it when it came to Weasley, and he eyed the muggle man with yellow eyes. Fudge had said the man had magic, wandless magic at that. But how? According to Draco, and his many spies, the man was just a muggle. But for one fanciful tale of the man flying he had never been seen using magic. At all. True he had killed Quirrell, but it was with a muggle weapon. His yellow eyes, and how he obtained them, could not be explained away though. Perhaps they were all mistaken. The paper said he was King of the Goblins. But rumor said that he beat the former king without magic. The whole thing was a conundrum.

Wanting answers, Lucius tapped the man on the shoulder with his cane. “You there…” was all he got out, when suddenly his cane was ripped from his hand and snapped at the middle. His eyes went wide. He hoped that his wand was okay. However, the sparks coming from the cane belied that thought.

“Don’t ever touch me,” Xander said, his eyes glowing with a touch of wildness. “I will see you as a threat and act accordingly, if you touch me again,” he warned, throwing the broken cane at Lucius.

Lucius looked at the damaged cane and was dismayed that his wand was indeed now snapped. He would need a new one from Knockturn Alley. One of the Dark Lord followers made top-notch custom wands and gave discounts to all his brethren. It would not be the first time he ventured there, his wand had been broken many times during the war. Angry over his wand, and never one to back down, Malfoy said, “You, Harris, would do well to respect your betters. You will be paying for my cane and wand, and you will be apologizing to me for you affront. That cane was an heirloom, handed down for ten generations.”

“Not in this lifetime. I don’t put on airs, and I don’t cater to those who do. You touched me first. Your cane was a weapon that I rendered useless. The fact that your wand was in there, was not my fault. If you don’t want your toys broken, don’t touch people,” the wolf-eyed man said, taking a step closer and making sure the kids were with adults. He didn’t want anyone else to get hurt if things got out of hand.

“I was merely trying to get your attention,” scoffed the tall blond. He looked around and was pleased to see that many people were watching. This would put the man in his place when he handed out some discipline.

“You don’t get people’s attention by touching them with a weapon. I am not one of your toadies, Malfoy.” He smiled at the man’s surprise. “Yes, I know who are, Lucius. Your son looks just like you. He puts on airs too.” Xander nodded to the quiet boy who was sneering at him. “Now the way I see it, this can go one of two ways. You can leave and forget this ever happened, or I can embarrass you and you will still leave, but no one will forget this day,” he said, taking another step closer and getting in the man’s face.

“I don’t know who you think you are, Harris,” Malfoy sneered at who he deemed was the lesser man. “However, I will not be spoken to that way by a _muggle_ ,” he spat, not backing down one wit. He still needed to get the Dark Lord’s diary to the youngest Weasley. He had no idea how to do that in this situation. The Weasleys and the Grangers were fanned out, surrounding the two men and Draco. There would be no opportunity to get to the youngest child. She was shielded by her oldest brother, and Lucius knew better than to mess with William Weasley.

“The hard way it is,” Harris said cheerfully, stepping back. He conjured a clay-pigeon, making it look like it had come from his pocket, and threw it in the air. He then drew his gun and fired. The pigeon shattered, and the fragments showered down on the now screaming crowd. “If you don’t want your head to explode like that, you’ll leave,” he said menacingly, pointing the gun at said head.

The audience for this little drama had settled down, but stayed far back, especially the muggleborn, and were looking at Xander with fear and respect. The muggle-raised admired at how quick and accurate the shot was. The wizard-raised were just in awe, period.

Lucius Malfoy, right hand man of Voldemort, pissed his pants. He had heard the rumors of how quick Quirrell’s death was, but he had brushed them off. Now, he witnessed something he had never seen before. He didn’t know anything that could do that, it was faster than a bludgeoning spell. The man didn’t have a wand. He didn’t cast a spell. He simply pointed a muggle object, created a loud bang and the disk exploded. It had to be enchanted. There was no way a muggle weapon could do this. Harris must be as powerful as the Dark Lord. He, Lucius, was defenseless, no wand and no way to protect himself or his only child. So, he took the coward’s way, and without saying another word, he grabbed his son, who was also shaking in fear, and Disapparated. He was going to get Harris for this embarrassment. He’d figure a way to get the diary into the school.

The crowd outside the bookstore exploded with whispers and clapping. They had never seen anyone put a Malfoy in his place.

“Come on, let’s go eat,” Xander said to his group.

“What was that?” Arthur asked, a very wary.

So, Xander, Harry and the Grangers spent the next hour at dinner explaining the workings of firearms to the magicals. Arthur and Augusta paled at every word. This was something else the magicals would have to report. Longbottom to the Wizengamot, and Weasley to his boss.

A few days later Harry and Xander came home from a weekend camping trip. It was great. They camped in the woods and reveled in serene nature. Xander taught his son how to cook on a fire, catch small game, and find water. All with and without magic. If Harry ever got caught in the woods, he now stood a better chance of not starving. Well, maybe after they did this a time or two.

When they got home, Harry went to pack for school. They’d be leaving in a few days, and he wanted to make sure he had all his books put in his trunk. He entered his room and on his bed was a house elf. The elf was in sad shape, the coloring on parts of his exposed skin looked to be bruised. Harry was immediately concerned. He stunned the elf and laid him on the bed. “Xander!” he called.

Xander came running. He saw the abused elf on the bed and asked, “What’s up? Who’s this?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t give him time to talk. He looked like he was in pain, so I thought we’d treat him first, then find out what he wants.”

“So you just knocked him out?” he asked with a chuckle, pulling out potions and balms that he had put in his pocketspace for the camping trip.

“Have you ever tried to get an elf to take care of itself?” Harry asked incredulously, picking up the bruise balm. He had once, when one of the Hogwarts elves had cut itself. The poor thing tried to continue what it was doing, but Harry argued with it for a half an hour to get the cut treated. He didn’t want to have to do that with this guy.

“Point,” Xander conceded, helping Harry apply what was needed.

The two worked on the unknown house elf, until the bruising faded, and all the wounds they could find were healed. They then revived the little guy to find out what he wanted.

The elf jerked awake and marveled in how good he felt. “Harry Potter has healed Dobby,” he said in awe. He always knew that Harry Potter was a kind wizard, but to heal a house elf was not something he had ever dreamed of.

“Is that your name? Dobby?” Harry asked, sitting on the bed next to the elf.

“Yes, that is being Dobby’s name,” was the answer from the still shocked elf.

“So, Dobby, what are you doing here?” Xander asked as he conjured a chair next to the bed.

“Dobby is coming to warn Harry Potter and Mr. Wolfy. There is to be bad things happening at Hogwarts. My master is being very angry at Harry Potter and Mr. Wolfy. He is saying terrible things,” the elf confessed coming out of his shock. His bulbous eyes wide with sadness and fear. He looked up to Harry Potter and wanted him to live a happy life. His master was a mean and vile man. Master would kill Harry Potter, and his wolfy father. Oh, the temper on Master when he returned last week. It was horrible. All the house elves had hidden away and stayed out of the man’s way. Dobby was not so lucky.

The two humans shared a look. It didn’t take much to figure out who Dobby was talking about, but they stayed silent for now.

“What bad things?” Harry inquired instead. Hoping to head anything off early.

“Dobby cannot say,” Dobby said, hanging his head in shame. He truly wanted to help. He tried to hide Harry Potter’s post, but the young boy did not write to anyone. The fan mail still went to the castle. Dobby was confused. He was sure that Harry Potter was more popular than this. What he didn’t know is that the house had a Floo, and Harry kept in touch with Neville via that, and Hermione the phone.

“That’s okay, Dobby. I understand,” the dark-haired boy said, putting his hand on Dobby’s shoulder, making the poor elf flinch and sigh at the same time.

“What can you tell us?” Xander asked, hoping to get as much information as possible.

“Only that Harry Potter and Mr. Wolfy must not go back to Hogwarts,” the elf warned.

“Well, seeing as I own the building, I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Xander said with a chuckle.

“Harry Potter and Mr. Wolfy have healed Dobby. Dobby will stop you. Yes, he will.” And with that the little guy disappeared.

“Well, this should be a fun year,” Harry quipped.

“Yeah,” Xander agreed, clapping the boy on the back and gathering up the balms and potions to put away.

No more visits from Dobby occurred during the rest of summer, and it was time to board the train. The two went to the train station, via Harry Air, and they boarded without issue. Harry was safely sequestered with his friends, and Xander did his patrols. They were halfway to Hogwarts, when Neville noticed the train slowing down.

“Are we there already?” he asked, peering out the window.

“We shouldn’t be,” Hermione answered, also looking outside. “Oh no, we’ve stopped,” she wailed, then went on a small rant on how they were going to be late or miss school all together.

“Hermione, calm down. I think I know what happened,” Harry said mysteriously. He wasn’t worried, they’d get to school one way or another. Though he thought it a bit funny that this bushy-haired friend seemed to be getting worked up.

“What?” the other two kids asked.

“I have a stalker,” he answered with a smirk.

“Who?” was the next question.

“We’re pretty sure it’s the Malfoy’s house elf. Dobby.”

“Why would a house elf be stalking you?” Neville questioned. He had never heard of an elf that went outside the household without their master’s permission. Maybe Malfoy wanted the elf to hurt Harry, which didn’t make sense, elves were pacifist.

“He’s trying to protect me,” Harry replied.

“Okay,” the round-faced boy drew out, not sure how to take that.

“Anyway, we should just wait for Xander to come and get us. He’ll figure how we’ll get to the school,” Harry said, settling back on the bench. He could hear the rest of the students in car running around, trying to figure out what happened. He knew that Xander would come. He always did. And he was right.

Xander popped in a minute later and looked around. “Well, this is a fine pickle,” he said with a chuckle. “Harry, want to pop us to the school? Put the car at the gates, so it doesn’t block the tracks” he suggested.

“Do you really think I can?” the dark-haired wizard ask, wrinkling his brow.

“Yup. It should be as easy as transporting a group, just include the car,” Xander said encouragingly.

“Okay,” was the reply. And with more wrinkling of the brow, Harry did as was asked.

The two other children noted the change in scenery outside and looked at Harry with wonder. They knew Harry was powerful, but this was amazing. He had to have moved the train car over hundreds of kilometers.

“What do we tell all the other students?” Hermione asked, knowing they wanted to this stuff kept quiet.

“That it’s a safety feature of the train. Since it’s never happened before, no one will question it,” Xander answered, that and it would be easy to make it one. He then stood and stretched. “I need to get back to the rest of the train. You guys head to the castle.” He made a small announcement to the rest of the car, via the magical loudspeakers, and then he disappeared.

“Let’s go,” Harry groused. He knew it was going to be an interesting year, but did it have to start so early?

Harry, Hermione, and Neville explained to the rest of the carriage the story Xander told them to. They all went to the castle most everyone, but the trio were in wonder what all the lights were for and how they worked. The trio of second-years said they would learn at the feast.

When the rest of the older children came to the castle from the carriages, they were in awe. Hogwarts was brighter than before. It was like a shining beacon in the night. They marveled at the electric lights that lined the hall and were completely floored by the crystal chandeliers in the Great Hall. In a daze they all took their seats, hoping the Headmaster would explain. They got their wish when the old man stood.

“As you can see, Hogwarts has been supplemented with electricity. We will explain after the Sorting is done.” He then sat and waved McGonagall to get the first years.

The Sorting went off without a hitch and soon it was time for further explanation. Albus and Xander stood and the Hall silenced.

“As the new owner of the building, Mr. Harris, felt it was his duty to make sure you, the students, had as easy of a life as one can get in a school. He will now explain what he has done,” the Headmaster said, then waved to Xander then retook his seat.

Xander nodded to him and rose. He then addressed the students. “I have added lights so that you can read and write without a headache. I am surprised that half of you are not blind. Though I suppose that your magic heals you. Think of it this way, if you magic is not healing you, then you have more to do spells with. We added outlets for things like computers, radios, and even small televisions. It is up to you to use them responsibly. There will be punishment if you are disrespectful of your fellow dormmates. We only added lights and heat to the sleeping areas, no outlets, so that no one is kept awake by their friends. You can have battery operated clocks, but nothing else.” He heard a few groans at this announcement and added. “There will be no cooking, or potion making in the dorms. We have rooms set up for that with enough fire-retarded spells on them to prevent the burning down of my home.”

That seems to perk a few up. There were many kinds of food they missed during the year, and now they could make some and share with their friends.

“One other thing, there will be a mandatory class, held on Saturdays, taught by me. This class will explain how we got the electricity, what can be done with it, and how to safely use it. I do want to state right now, we are not trying to stomp on tradition, nor are we trying to replace magic. These are tools to help you get further in life. They will educate you enough that you will not accidently break the Statute of Secrecy. And you can have fun with them as well. Now, let’s eat,” Xander said, waving his hand for the feast.

The children talked excitedly while they ate, and soon were reconnecting with their housemates. They all had a wonderful time, and for Harry it was a relief. He loved Xander, and it was because of that man’s tireless patience, that Harry was able to be around people without flinching. Unlike his first year, Harry got to know the people he was to spend the next six years with. He found them to be just like him, mostly. They had quite a few of the same worries, and expectations. Most of them just wanted to do well at school and get a job after.

Xander was not having as good a time. He was next to Lockhart. He hated that man’s bragging and vowed to get rid of him first chance he got.

“I heard what happened to you during my book signing,” the blond man said, smiling in a knowing way. “I would have come to help, but my adoring public needed me.”

“What happened?” asked Dumbledore, hoping to catch something he could use against Harris.

“Malfoy decided to try and make an example of me. He failed,” Xander answered succinctly. He hoped to stop the story from being elaborated on.

“Oh dear, I do hope you did not alienate the man. He is quite powerful in the Wizarding World,” Albus said, actually hoping the opposite.

“From what I hear,” Gilderoy said, tossing his long blond hair over his shoulder, “Xander here made the man urinate on himself. I would have caused the same effect, had I been there.” He wanted to make Harris look bad. The man had had his books nixed from the syllabus, and now he was out a lot of money.

“Meh, I don’t like braggarts or stuck-up people,” Xander said pointedly, pausing to take another bite of his meal. “They both run when the chips are down,” he declared when he finished his piece of steak. He gave a meaningful look to the blond next to him.

Lockhart fumed at the slight. He would find a way to get back at him for this too. He seemed quite close to Harry Potter, perhaps he could play nice until he got closer to the boy. Then he’d tear the yellow-eyed man down.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Harris softly stated right next to Lockhart’s ear, almost gagging on the man’s overwhelming aftershave. “Your face is like an open book. I will just say one word. Don’t,” he threatened, his voice dripping with dangerous tones, his eyes flaring with power.

All Gilderoy could do was nod, his fear evident.

Classes, new and old, were attended, practical and written homework finished, new teachers gawked at since they were the famous Flamels, and time moved on. The only bone of contention with his Housemates that Harry had was a new kid that had taken to following him around. Colin Creevey. The kid was okay, but he had a bad habit of taking Harry’s picture randomly. Xander had confiscated a great deal of film from the boy and Colin was warned not to take anymore. That didn’t stop him from following Harry around.

The other stalker Harry had was Ginny Weasley, but she followed from a distance. She would peek around corners, and blush madly when the Boy-Who-Lived looked her way.

Harry just hoped they didn’t get together and form the Harry Potter Fan Club or something equally stupid. Little did he know there already was one, and his two stalkers were new members. Xander knew about it. His dad thought it was funny, so didn’t let him know yet.

Xander had asked Harry to keep a lookout for the ‘big bad’ that was supposed to happen. So far, all Harry had seen was a few rundown looking students. He used his metamorphous ability to go into all the common rooms, but he heard nothing about any monster. He had no idea what he was supposed to be looking for, but duly reported everything to his dad. Xander said he’d keep an eye out for those that looked worn, but they were probably OWL or NEWT students.

Lockhart continued to show his incompetence, with every class. After the first class where the man had released Cornish Pixies on the kids, and then ran when they got out of control, Xander had taken to sitting in. After seeing Gilderoy reenact scenes from his books, he told the man if he didn’t teach from the textbook, he’d be fired. Still the braggart… bragged. He would read from the book and then would tell the kids how he would use the spell, making up stories as he went. The girls from all year groups were now staring dreamily at the man. Even Hermione. He didn’t teach them any practical lessons. Harry hoped the man was gone soon.

It was a week from Halloween that Harry came running into the ‘house’. “Xander!” he yelled. “Norberta can talk!”

“Now see, I’ve been to her alcove, and I’ve never heard her talk,” the wolf-eyed man said with a lifting of his eyebrows.

“Not like humans,” Harry huffed. “She hisses,” he added as if it were obvious.

“He’s a parselmouth,” Joyce said excitedly, jumping up and giving the Boy-Who-Lived a hug. “Sally was one too.”

“What’s that when it’s at home?” Xander asked Minerva. They had been sitting down to tea when Harry burst in.

“A person who can speak to snakes and larger reptiles,” she answered with pursed lips. This would not be good if not handled correctly. Xander gave her a questioning look. “There is a bad cognation with parselmouths. They are said to be inherently evil.”

“I’ve always understood snakes,” Harry confessed, looking down at the floor. “I thought all wizards could.”

Joyce held the sad young man tighter. “Harry, you listen to me,” she said, pulling them apart and holding Harry at arm’s length so he could see her serious face. “You are not evil. Sally wasn’t evil, though I’m sure that’s where the rumor started. There have been hundreds of parselmouths in this school over the years and only a handful have been considered evil.” She pulled him back into a hug and ran her fingers through his hair trying to reassure him.

“I wonder if that’s what I’ve been hearing in the walls,” Harry speculated, reflecting on the voice he heard just yesterday. He nudged out of the hug and sat on the couch next to his foster grandmum. Joyce sat on his other side. “They keep saying they are hungry and want to kill things.”

“You heard murderous voices in the walls and didn’t tell me?” Xander asked, perturbed. “How can I do my job if I don’t have the intel?”

“I’m sorry,” Harry said, looking at his father with sorrowful eyes. “When Hermione and Neville said they didn’t hear anything, I thought I should keep it to myself. Being the only one to hear voices that talk about killing is not a good sign.” He had been really scared to. The voice kept talking about being hungry and wanting to kill. He had wanted to tell his dad, but his friends said that it would not be a good idea.

“Mr. Potter, if you hear voices that talk about murder, then we need to examine you right away. There are many spells that can be cast on a person that will force them to do something against their will. Come over here and let me make sure none have been cast on you,” McGonagall said, standing and pulling her wand from her sleeve.

Harry slowly stood and turned towards her and she cast her spell. They all sighed with relief when it came up negative.

“So, we have a snake in the walls who wants to kill. Do we call an exterminator?” Xander said joyfully. He was actually hoping it was something to hunt. He had not hunted anything but small game since he got here. He didn’t include the troll, that was not hunting.

“It sounded really big,” Harry offered. Not sure an exterminator would help.

“How big?” the wolf-eyed man inquired eagerly.

“Um… as big as this room,” Harry guessed.

“Great,” Harris said, all but jumping in place.

“Xander, this is a school,” Joyce reminded him. “And if it’s in the walls, then it is dangerous to the whole school.”

“Phooey. Well, we’d better find it fast,” Xander said, his shoulders squaring up and ready to go. “Any ideas?” he asked Joyce. She was the school after all.

“Sally’s room. He had a pet snake, though I’m not sure what kind, he said it was a surprise and that it would protect the school. But the idea that a snake lived a thousand years is iffy. He made the room before I _was_ the school and hid it from me. I know it’s somewhere below the lake. I’ll reabsorb and tell you when I feel the snake come out and where it came from. I can try to block off the pipes, and hold it off before it attacks the children,” she offered and then burst into particles and flew through the walls.

“Until then, we should declare a state of emergency. I want all the children to walk in groups with some escorts. If one child gets hurt, then we might have to close the school,” Minerva said, straightening her dress. She wasn’t sure how Albus would treat this. It might be a test of his true feelings about the safety of the children.

“I’ll hit the books. We know it is a large snake that might be a thousand years old, but we don’t know what kind. How many snakes can get this large?” Xander asked, getting up as well. Harry followed suit.

“Quite a few magical snakes can grow the size of this room and live that long. Unfortunately, they are all deadly,” McGonagall answered as she made her way to the door.

“Do you guys have magical mongooses?” was the playful question.

“No,” came the serious answer.

“Geesh, just asking,” Xander pouted at her stern look. “Okay,” he said, clapping his hands together, “we have a giant, possibly old snake. We need to kill said snake. Any suggestions?”

“Nope,” Harry answered. He was still new to this world, and he hoped Xander would fix this.

“Then I better get to cracking,” Xander said, and the three went their separate ways. Harry’s job was to listen and report. He was to let the adults handle the ‘big bad’.

The school did go into a state of emergency. The kids walked in groups and the teachers were to escort them. Since they had no real proof, Albus said that these measures would do for now. Xander, after doing his research, had hung mirrors all over the halls. He read that one snake could kill with a look and was hoping to prevent that. He knew his movie mythology, and reflections worked for Perseus against Medusa. He only hoped it worked in reality.

Days flew by and the Halloween Feast was in full swing, with candy, pies and treats for everyone. The kids were enjoying the non-tense atmosphere and Harry was relaxed for the first time in days. He and his housemates, with full bellies, were getting ready to leave. Harry thought he heard whispering in the walls, but it was too faint to be sure. He had not seen Joyce in days, and he had faith that she would prevent injury to his schoolmates.

The Gryffindors were on their way back to their dorms, and were almost to the Fat Lady, when they came upon a stiff Mrs. Norris. She was hanging from a candle holder and there was red writing on the wall.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. COME FIND ME, POTTER.

To say the kids were disturbed was an understatement. They all looked to Harry as if he had the answers.

Harry was standing there pale and scared. His name was in what looked to be blood on the wall. That could not be good.

“Mum!” he yelled.

Joyce appeared next to him and the Gryffindors relaxed, slightly. “Oh my,” she said, looking at the scene. She had felt the snake and thought she had it cornered near Myrtle’s old bathroom. How it got here was a mystery.

“Can you get Xander,” Harry begged.

She only nodded and disappeared, only to reappear seconds later with Xander.

“Shit,” the wolf-eyed man said as he read the words.

“Yeah,” Harry replied sorrowfully. 

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so, I'm throwing this up here to see how it fares. Let me know if you like it and remember to read the original.


End file.
